2014 Snapshots by Presbyterian School

PRESBYTERIAN SCHO OL

5300 Main Street Houston, Texas 77004

SNAPSHOTS

BE A PART OF THE BEST . . . CLASS TRIPS. MUSICAL. LIFELONG FRIENDS. TEACHERS. ATHLETICS. MUSEUM PARTNERSHIPS. FIELD DAY. TECHNOLOGY. OUTDOOR EDUCATION CAMPUS. FIELD TRIPS. RODEO DAY. PARENTS. ART. RECESS. CLASS PROJECTS. GREAT MOMENTS IN HISTORY. SPLASH DAY. CHRISTMAS WORKSHOP. KINDERGARTEN CIRCUS. COMMUNITY SERVICE. PS CAMPUS. CHAPEL. MEXICAN MARKET. MIDDLE SCHOOL. K & 4TH BUDDIES. PS. YOU’LL LOVE IT HERE!

THINGS YOU’LL LOVE

In the heart of Houston, we are the destination for families who seek a Christ-centered community that inspires perseverant leaders and servants to grow in belief and understanding, wisdom beyond knowledge, character above accomplishment, and confidence to last a lifetime.

HOW TO APPLY VISIT OUR SCHOOL

VISIT, TESTING & FORMS

The Admission Office would like to personally show you the teachers, classrooms and campus that make Presbyterian School a premier independent school. Personal tours and group tours of the classroom are offered by appointment. Please contact the Admission Office at 713.620.6329 to schedule a tour.

Once your studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s application has been processed, you will be notified for: 1. Student visits (Beta to 8th Grade) 2. Admission Testing (PreKindergarten to 8th Grade) 3. Teacher Recommendation (Kindergarten to 8th Grade) 4. Transcript (Kindergarten to 8th Grade)

Open House is an opportunity for prospective parents to see what a Presbyterian School education can offer students. Parents may meet and speak with the Headmaster, the Division Heads and other school administrators. Parents will also have an opportunity to speak one on one with various grade level teachers and different specialty instructors. This is a great time to become acquainted with Presbyterian Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distinguished faculty and staff! Open House Dates: Early Childhood and Lower School: October 28, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. Middle School: November 10, 2014 at 6:00 p.m.

APPLY ONLINE 1. 2. 3. 4.

DECISIONS All applicants will receive an admission decision letter in March 2015.

FINANCIAL AID Financial aid is available for PreKindergarten to 8th Grade students. The financial aid process is confidential, and all interested parties are encouraged to apply. Visit the school website for more details on financial aid.

Go to the school website at www.pshouston.org Click on Apply > Admission > Online Application Complete the application Pay the application fee online or mail it to the Admission Office 5300 Main Street Houston, TX 77004

THIS IS A SCHOOL ABOUT LOVE As you pick up our Admission viewbook and flip through its pages, you’ll notice something special about Presbyterian School . . . at the tender age of twenty-five, PS is a school that recognizes the capacity for love in every member of its community and then nurtures that capacity even after folks have left the brick walls and black-and-white tiles that characterize our buildings. You’ll notice a love that is deep and wide . . . that is rugged and soft . . . that is in-the-moment and long-lasting. You’ll notice a love that is carefully planted at the earliest stages of childhood and parenthood and then is deftly nurtured into a maturity that is, at the same time, willing and able . . . satisfied and ambitious . . . comforting and challenging. You’ll notice a love that conquers the world by conquering little impossible things each and every day—inside classrooms, on stages, at competitions, around monkeybars, between swingsets, and throughout childhood. You’ll notice a love that grows from toddler to teenager, from partner to friend, from seatmate . . . to classmate . . . to college roommate . . . to soulmate. You’ll notice a love that lives more inside questions than it does inside answers . . . questions like: What would you do with a million dollars? If you could be anyone in history, whom would you choose? How much does God love you? You’ll notice a love that takes risks because it’s risky to stand up for what you believe and it’s risky to challenge other people to do that, too (especially in the first grade) . . . because it’s risky to fail and then to learn from that failure . . . because it’s risky to stretch and push and accept the challenges of going too far so that you can discover how very far you can go. You’ll notice a love that believes in a God whose compassion knows no bounds, whose forgiveness is limitless, and whose grace defies understanding, and you’ll read about a love that wants to share that God with the world. This is a School about THAT love.

Dr. Mark Carleton Headmaster

SCHOOL AT A GLANCE Family, School and Church united in the education and support of each Child.

SCHOOL DAY Early Childhood Beta (3 years by August 1) - 8:10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. PreKindergarten - 8:10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Lower School Kindergarten to 4th Grade - 8:10 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. Middle School 5th Grade to 8th Grade - 8:00 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.

PS+ AND EXTENDED CARE Before School PS+ PreKindergarten to 8th Grade - 7:15 a.m. to 7:55 a.m. After School PS+ Beta to 8th Grade - 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Extended Care PreKindergarten to 8th Grade - 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. After-School Activities Athletics Choir Doctors in Training Inventors in Training

Mixed Media Art Class Oddyssey of the Mind Soccer Shots Tae Kwon Do

ONE SCHOOL, TWO CAMPUSES 59

5300 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77004

Bissonnet Street

Bin z He rm

Str e

ann

Str ee

Dr ive

288

Road Almeda

OUTDOOR EDUCATION CAMPUS (OEC)

610

M ain

Presbyterian School is located in a state-ofthe-art facility and counts among its neighbors institutions of learning and the arts such as Rice University, The Museum of Natural Science, Houston’s Medical Center, The Houston Childrens’ Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts and St. Thomas University. The School forms part of an archipelago of the arts and academia located in the heart of Houston’s vibrant Museum District. These institutions (and more) serve as partners and resources for your child’s unparalleled independent school education.

Montrose Blvd

MAIN CAMPUS

610

9100 South Freeway, Houston, Texas 77051 Presbyterian School has a second campus, the 14-acre Outdoor Education Campus (OEC), just five miles from the main campus. The OEC is located south of the Texas Medical Center on Highway 288 and is where your child will find enrichment and more opportunities to develop to his/her fullest, God-given potential. This campus provides space for environmental learning, sports and athletics, nature trails, play areas and outdoor worship.

Reed Road

Main Campus

Museum of Natural Science

Outdoor Education Campus

Health Museum

Contemporary Arts Museum

Children’s Museum

Museum of Fine Arts

Holocaust Museum

NRG Stadium

Metro Rail 5

THINGS YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT PS In honor of Presbyterian School’s twenty-fifth anniversary, we went in search of the twenty-five best things about our school. Who better to ask than our alumni? Polling nearly 500 graduates, we received responses that clearly ranked the twenty-five best things about Presbyterian School. From small moments to big moments, from the main campus to the Outdoor Education Campus, and from early childhood to middle school, there were many treasured memories from our alums. While former students created this top twenty-five countdown, our current students have found many of their own favorites in this list as well. So, as you contemplate joining our school community, consider Robert Browning’s words, “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be…” 6

CLASS TRIPS

Flying on 3,000-foot zip lines, rafting treacherous white water, hiking with llamas, and playing with snow on a sunny afternoon in May… all rank as #1 for a school day activity. The great outdoors wins hands-down as our Alums’ best classroom ever! Over the years, our middle school students have enjoyed their annual overnight class trips in Texas to Camp Allen, Camp Cho Yeh, Mo Ranch, T Bar M, and Camp Eagle in addition to Buena Vista, Colorado, and Green River, Utah. Some of the BEST MEMORIES EVER are made on these trips.

MUSICAL

We are reminded from Cinderella, our 2007 musical, that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Impossible things are happening every day.â&#x20AC;? Our students are accomplishing great theatrical feats from learning new choreographed dances to assuming a different persona to designing a vivid, larger-than-life backdropâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all on the biggest of stages and often for the first (or, only) time! The annual eighth grade musical in May has become a rite of passage for our graduates. Conquer the musical; conquer the world!

LIFELONG FRIENDS Many of our students will spend nearly twelve years together... the longest length of time in any one school—by a long shot! They will grow from toddlers to teenagers, from classmates to soul mates. It’s where our students make the kinds of friends who know them at their best and love them at their worst; who cheer for them even if they’re on the other team; who give them a second chance when the world seems to end; and who aren’t afraid of telling them the truth. Why? It’s what we do for family.

At PS, we love our students every day, from wake-up to good night; from Alpha to eighth grade; from Main and Bissonnet to the OEC. It’s a love that looks you in the eye and says “good morning” and “have a great day.” It’s a love that isn’t afraid of messes, like fingerpainting or dissecting a worm or playing soccer in forty-degree Houston mud. It’s a love that values things like God and gratitude, perseverance and compassion, courage and integrity, and respect. Above all else, it’s a love that says, “Thank you for letting me love you.”

TEACHERS

ATHLETICS

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no denying the thrill of the GAMEâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;whether that thrill comes from diving into water, wrestling on a mat, sinking a three pointer, or hitting one long down the center of the fairway. Beginning in sixth grade, students can join one of eleven different sports teams including basketball, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling. Always striving for a higher standard than winning, the Panthers are first and foremost a team. Catch the Spirit of Presbyterian School on the green, in the gym or on the fields at the OEC. The Spirit is Here!

MUSEUM PARTNERSHIPS

Prekindergarten students learning about Egypt walk to the Museum of Fine Arts to see King Tutankhamun: the Golden King and The Great Pharaohs. Fifth grade students reading a book on World War II walk to the Holocaust Museum to see firsthand artifacts. Seventh grade students working on ceramics walk to the Glassell School and throw on their potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheel. With over nineteen museums within walking distance in the neighborhood, PS students have many world-renowned resources literally at their fingertips.

FIELD DAY

An explosion of energy and color hits the OEC every year in April as Panthers of all ages descend for an annual day of fun competitions. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a day when differences in friendships, grades and genders dissolve. Kindergarten students ride piggyback on seventh graders, second graders revel in the company of middle schoolers, and fifth graders eagerly reunite with their former Lower School teachers. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mass family reunion as Panthers are shuffled and THE TEAM mantra takes over. All for one and one for all!

TECHNOLOGY

In one short decade, cutting edge technology has moved from the tops of our desks to the palms of our hands, especially for our students. At PS students havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t missed a beat with these advancements in technology. From desktops to laptops to SmartBoards to digital projectors to iPads to Apple TV, students have embraced it all with nimble enthusiasm. They revel in eBooks, apps, email, and hundreds of digital resources at the touch of a screen.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION CAMPUS (OEC)

A quick, seven-minute ride from the main campus, the Outdoor Education Campus has been a destination for so many memorable experiences and special events such as our Early Childhood Splash Day, Lower School OEC days, Middle School athletic games, the School Carnival, the School Gala, and much, much more. Our fourteen acres of green space are not only used for fun events, outdoor learning, and athletics, but also for worship and handson experiences with the natural world that God created.

10 FIELD TRIPS

Strategically located in the heart of the Museum District, PS is at the center of the city. We are minutes from museums and a light rail ride away from the Medical Center, Reliant Park, and Downtown. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to the Courthouse to conduct a mock trial or visiting Hermann Hospital to see LifeFlight or catching a musical at the Hobby Center, students never stop learning or having fun when they leave their classrooms.

11 RODEO DAY

Yee-haw, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to Rodeo! On Go Texan Day, the last Friday of February, we dust off our cowboy boots and don our best western duds to celebrate the heritage of Texas. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a memorable day as we host our own Early Childhood Rodeo, complete with a stagecoach, a livestock show (petting zoo included!), and rodeo events such as the horse-stick races and potato sack races. Students even try out life as a cowboy with gold mining, campfire cooking, and singing!

12 PARENTS

For most school-aged kids, seeing Mom and Dad at school can either mean really good news. . . or, really bad news! At PS, though, students get to see their parents all the time. From Chapel time to lunchtime, from classroom presentations to big group assemblies, our parents get to share many parts of the school day with us. PS parents live out our mission by supporting the School in so many ways—from coordinating volunteers for special events to showering the faculty with appreciation to sharing their professional expertise and supporting our students at home. It’s a partnership that we love and would not change for the world- it’s truly Family and School united!

Masterpieces are in the making, and the next Picasso, Van Gogh, or Cezanne may very well be in our midst. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with finger paints, watercolors, oil pastels, acrylic paints, sharpies, markers, crayons, or colored pencils, the finest artistic creations on display at PS usually spring from the minds and talents of our students. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no limiting their imaginations as they study master artists, visit with curators, and examine renowned works to forge their own unique paths to artistic greatness.

ART

RECESS

What would a top twenty-five countdown in a school be without RECESS! The highlight of every child’s day, recess is a time to wind up or wind down… whatever the body needs. Students can take a breath of fresh air and hang out with friends. They can pump themselves higher on the swing set, show off their hand blisters after crossing all the monkey bars, or finally tag the fastest kid in the class! As students make new friends and invent new games, they realize only the sky’s the limit.

CLASS PROJECTS

Big ideas and big questions are our specialty. What would you do with a million dollars? How do you wire a house with electricity? How can an egg survive a 10-foot drop? Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best way to build a bridge? How did you count to 100? Thinking BIG leads to BIG ideas, and our students attack these questions with gusto and lots of creative and critical thinking. Whether it is independently or within a team, students are unleashed to explore, discover, and create projects that have realworld applications and solutions.

GREAT MOMENTS IN HISTORY

Have you ever wanted to be someone famous . . . or, infamous? Our third graders get a taste of notoriety during their iconic Great Moments in History “Parade of Stars.” After researching and writing (and re-writing and re-writing!) clever and creative speeches, each third grader dons the attire and assumes the persona of his or her famous figure. From Sacagawea to Sandra Day O’Connor and Babe Ruth to Barack Obama, our students share about the life, work, and impact of an historical individual. PS students will never forget their “great moment” in the spotlight as they make their own stamp on history.

17 SPLASH DAY

On a bright May morning, Beta and Prekindergarten students enjoy a fun-filled Splash Day. With slip-and-slides, water slides, bounce houses, cozy coupe car washes, and more, students cannot wait to get wet and get their teachers wet. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the one day you can dunk a teacher or shoot a water gunâ&#x20AC;Ś and not get in trouble. What more can you ask for?

CHRISTMAS WORKSHOP

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The season of love, joy, gifts, and good tidings hits PS with full force each December. The halls are decked with 10-foot trees filled with ornaments, and garlands are woven into the stairwells while signs of “Christ-math” are evident on the walls. With bowls piled high filled with sweet treats, icing oozing onto gingerbread houses, and carols playing in the background, the signs are pointing that Christmas is near!

Did you know that school can be a three-ring circus? You may have imagined kids hanging off the ceilings and teachers snapping their whips. But picture this: The Greatest Show On Earthâ&#x20AC;Ś in Kindergarten fashion. From the ringleader to the lion tamers, strongmen and acrobats, this is one three-ring act that is unforgettable!

KINDERGARTEN CIRCUS 25

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Students love to go off campus to serve. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right across the street serving sack lunches at the Emergency Aid Coalition or driving on a bus across town to the Houston Food Bank, where there is a need, there is a willing PS heart. Each year over 200 middle school students from PS have the opportunity to serve a dozen different non-profit organizations for an entire school day. What a difference one child can make!

The Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission of Family, School, and Church united is clearly evident on our campus. Located in a state-of-the-art facility at First Presbyterian Church, students benefit from the nurturing environment of both school and church. Serving more than 530 students, the School utilizes over thirty classrooms spanning three divisions, two learning commons featuring over 35,000 books, four fully-equipped science labs, two art rooms -including an in-house kiln, two music rooms, an Academic Enrichment Center, two gymnasiums, a 1,200-seat theatre, sanctuary, and chapel. Learning (and fun) can happen in so many different locations.

PS CAMPUS 27

22 CHAPEL

In the midst of change there is always one foundational element that remains unchanging at PSâ&#x20AC;Ś. our God. Weekly grade level chapels breathe life into our school and encourage each and every student to experience God through worship, Scripture, and prayer. Schoolwide chapels, such as Veterans Day Chapel, Christmas Chapel, and Easter Chapel serve as commemorative worship experiences for the entire school community. As children of God at Presbyterian School, students learn that receiving and reflecting Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love can be life-changing.

MEXICAN MARKET

PS students are multi-cultural entrepreneurs in the making. Lower and Middle School students work together to host an annual Mexican Market day where handmade items are sold using the economy south of the border. From making their own products to marketing and selling them, students are doing it all in Spanish. As if the supply and demand of economics werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough to master, try doing it in a different language. PS students are ready to give the international economy a run for its money.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom; it was the age of foolishness…” While Charles Dickens used these words to set the stage for A Tale of Two Cities, there are no better words to describe Middle School. It’s hard to forget your first dance, your first crush, an argument with your best friend, sitting at a table full of strangers at the MS luncheon, or trying a new middle school activity . . . like knitting or Yoga. As with all roller coasters, some of the time you may scream in terror, but the thrill of the ride is unforgettable.

25 K AND 4TH BUDDIES

The best relationships come in big AND small sizes. Each year, fourth grade students eagerly anticipate meeting their Kindergarten buddies. Ruling the lower school roost, fourth grade students take pride in the leadership of their young buddies. No matter the activity- reading a good book or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at assembly- being together is always better. These newfound connections often forge into long-lasting friendships.

PORTRAIT OF A PANTHER Graduates of Presbyterian School have a carefully developed foundation of core values when they leave us. Respect, perseverance, courage, compassion, integrity, and gratitude characterize their shared journey through a challenging curriculum that enriches their minds, an eclectic fine arts program that captivates their spirits, comprehensive athletic and wellness programs that nurture their bodies, and service projects at every grade level that nourish their souls. Presbyterian School students emerge ready for so much more than just high school; they are ready for life!

OUR GRADUATES... • Seek through prayer, study, and reflection to discern the guidance of their Creator in all their real-life situations. • Embody a positive sense of self-confidence, self-worth, and security so that they believe deeply and take appropriate risks throughout their lives. • Display a growth mindset, focusing on dedication and hard work, which create a lifelong love of learning and a resilience that is at the heart of great accomplishment. • Read a write critically, actively synthesizing information and making sense of it for themselves and others. • Identify and solve problems creatively by analyzing disparate sets of data and then drawing novel conclusions. • Engage themselves comfortably in communities and their many forms.

BEYOND PS Our graduates have been accepted to the following schools.

HIGH SCHOOLS Awty International School Bellaire High School Magnet Program Carnegie Vanguard Cristo Ray Jesuit High School DeBakey High School for Health Professions Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart The Emery/Weiner School Energy Institute High School Episcopal High School High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Houston Christian High School

BOARDING SCHOOLS Incarnate Word Academy The Kinkaid School Lamar High School IB Program Second Baptist School St. Agnes Academy St. John’s School St. Pius X High School St. Stephen’s School St. Thomas High School St. Thomas Episcopal High School Strake Jesuit College Preparatory The Woodlands High School Westbury Christian School YES Prep School

Asheville School (NC) Cate School (CA) Chinquapin School (TX) Choate Rosemary Hall (CT) Govenor’s School (NC) The Hotchkiss School (CT) Kent School (CT) The Landmark School (MA) Lawrenceville School (NJ) Oldfields School (MD) Loomis Chaffee (CT) Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) Portsmouth Abbey (RI) Proctor Academy (NH)

Salisbury School (CT) St. Andrew’s School (DE) St. Stephen’s Episcopal School (TX) Tabor Academy (MA) Tilton School (NH) The Thacher School (CA) The Hill School (PA) Virginia Episcopal School (VA) Westminster School (CT) Woodberry Forest School (VA)

Beyond PS