Eagle Winter 2011

EAGLE S E C O N D

B A P T I S T

S C H O O L

WINTER/SPRING EDITION 2010

Traditions

Traditions bind the SBS community and pave the way for future learners in the classroom.

F r om the co v e r

The Bolling Family ne of our many alumni families, the Bollings capture the spirit and traditions we share as a part of the Second Baptist School community. David Bolling graduated from Second Baptist Upper School as the first official “Lifer”; and now, the Bolling children, Joseph ’18, Claire ’19, Caroline ’21 and Emily ’23 attend SBS. David and Dianna met at Second Baptist in the church choir, and during the 1990’s, they both taught at SBS. David taught math in the Middle School, and Dianna taught music in the Lower School. David’s involvement began as a student in the early 80’s when he attended every SBS game, worked on the yearbook, served as Student Body President and participated in all the drama and musical productions. He describes those early years of the Upper School as, “a real grassroots effort. We didn’t have a very big class, and if we wanted to have a dance, the students needed to step up and put it together.”

David recalled traditions that began when he was a student including the enduring rivalry with Northwest Academy, now Houston Christian High School.

In a critical moment during a basketball play-off game against our rival in the Old Gym, SBS students pulled back the curtains across the stage to reveal the Northwest Academy school flag which they had stolen the night before. SBS won the game, of course. Musicals and drama productions which David especially enjoyed also have been a traditional highlight of the spring. His favorite role was Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz ; and this spring, Caroline will continue the Bolling family musical tradition as Ngana in South Pacific.

“When I was a student here, we were able to do everything. We didn’t have to pick and choose, and that is a tradition we have handed down since we became a high school.” David described the reasons they decided to enroll their children at SBS. As parents, they wanted both a strong education and a spiritual partner who would come along side them and teach the principles they uphold at home. As a former SBS student and teacher, David said, “I knew from day one the quality of Second Baptist School, and that is what brought us here.”

Second Baptist School

6410 Woodway Drive, Houston, Texas 77057 www.secondbaptistschool.org Established in 1946, SBS provides a world-class education for the leaders of tomorrow. SBS is a learning community for over 1,000 students (PK-12) who enjoy a breadth of educational opportunities – from customized learning experiences to travel exposure to technological advancement. Nurtured by a Christ-centered community that edifies the soul and an academically rigorous environment that enriches the mind, SBS graduates are armed with the character, confidence and capability needed to succeed in the world they confront in the 21st century.

The Eagle is published by the Office of Advancement in the fall, winter/spring and summer and is mailed free of charge to students, parents, faculty, alumni and friends of Second Baptist School. For more information call (713) 365-2310 or visit our website at www. secondbaptistschool.org.

Disclaimer: Second Baptist School makes every effort to ensure that all names and listings are accurate and complete. If a name has been omitted, misspelled or listed incorrectly, please accept our sincerest apologies.

Class of ’83

contents EAGLE

winter/spring 2011

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From the Head of School Dr. Jeff Williams discusses the spiritual precepts undergirding Second Baptist School traditions.

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Campus News A summary of the latest news, events, achievements and highlights at Second Baptist School.

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The Last Word Rebecca Larkin reflects on the qualities that define the SBS legacy.

features 34

Tradition and Innovation in the SBS Classroom

Johannah Kersey highlights academic traditions and reviews recent innovations in the classroom.

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The Faculty Behind Traditions

Teaching is second nature to Cindy Blades, Linda Linder and Sue Berg, who have helped create cherished memories in fine arts, athletics and in the classroom.

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A Sisterhood of Spirit – SBS Cheer Reunion

Bringing together cheerleaders and coaches from across the years, the reunion celebrated traditions of school spirit.

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Alumni Updates

A collection of alumni news from the 1980’s, 1990’s and 2000’s.

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Alumni Come Home for Flight Night and Alumni Basketball Game

Former stars of the court return to enjoy a favorite winter tradition.

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Where Are They Now?

Anna Bradley finds her dream job in Memphis, at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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Traditions H

anded down from one generation to the next,

traditions often represent sacred elements of great value intended to preserve a wide range of significant ideas. Each nation, state, city, town, family, and individual has traditions.

A tradition Allison and I desire to pass on to our daughters is the understanding of true greatness. In our kitchen, we have posted the principles of true greatness as defined by Dr. Tim Kimmel in his book Raising Kids for True Greatness: Success is about receiving; true greatness is about giving.

Success worships what I see in a mirror; true greatness grieves over what it sees through its windows.

Success pays off for now; true greatness pays off forever.

True greatness is a passionate love for God that demonstrates itself in an unquenchable love and concern for others.

These principles, which we value as a family, led us to send our girls to Second Baptist School which supports our traditions by emphasizing the same beliefs.

What are the traditions of Second Baptist School? Our foundational tradition comes from our mission to train consecrated young people in areas of knowledge that will allow them to think deeply, to judge wisely, and to live their lives on the principles and

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convictions of biblical truth. An outgrowth of this purpose is to bring every student into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The events and memories recounted in this month’s Eagle illustrate some of the enduring traditions of SBS, but what I find of greater importance is the belief system that lies beneath these customs and conventions.

Traditions of honor and integrity are reinforced by our adoption of an honor code, which will remind us daily of our responsibility to cultivate both intellectual and moral excellence as a community. This challenge, which ultimately calls us to a higher standard, also reflects the biblical traditions undergirding everything we do at SBS. Matthew 5:13-16 emphasizes we are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.”

Letting our “light shine before men” is difficult for us all but especially for young people navigating their way in a world that is oppositional to Christ. My desire is to reinforce the principles of SBS in our students and inspire them to be “the salt” and “the light” so they may fulfill the commission of Matthew 5:13-16.

I want students to be mindful of the undermining cultural issues facing them today. Borrowing from Alex and Brett Harris’s

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book Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations, I present five “things” students must be willing to do: Things that are outside your comfort zone Things that go beyond what is expected or required Things that are too big to accomplish alone Things that don’t earn an immediate payoff Things that challenge the cultural norm As students step outside their comfort zone, they can exceed their own and others’ expectations. They can learn to reach out to others and work together for a greater common goal. Doing hard things, students will recognize the value of eternal rewards and will be challenged to be an element of positive change in the world.

Our students will be the next generation of leaders of our world; we must instill in them the precepts of Christ; we must equip them for the race ahead. Second Baptist School’s celebrations, customs, and culture should always preserve the ethos of our mission and passion.

For more about traditions in the making at SBS visit Dr. Williams’ blog The Bench at secondbaptistschool.wordpress.com.

To God be the Glory

Dr. Jeff D. Williams Head of School

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A t h le t i c n e w s

f i n e a r t s Ne w s

Campus news

campus news

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Campus News pp 4-17

Fine Arts News pp 18-25

Athletic News pp 26-33

US Students Attend Conference in Chicago

by Margaret Maurer ‘11 A team of eight students from Model UN (Danielle Cope, Adam Hammer, McKinzie Jones, Josh Kee, Margaret Maurer, William McMichael, Sam Miller, and Savannah Wilkinson) along with Nathan Barber, Mary Johnson, and Toni La’Zurs-White as chaperones, traveled to Chicago to participate in the Chicago International Model United Nations (CIMUN). The conference presented live simulations of both historical and current events, and students enacted the roles of the General Assembly, Security Council, cabinets, and

regional bodies. Students from around the country participated as well as one school from Asia.

The conference opened with a formal banquet and a keynote speaker from the United Nations. Then students spent three days working in committees attempting to pass resolutions for their assigned country and roles. The historical simulation began on May 16, 1967, and the current event discussions focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo and economic recovery from global recession. The students were assigned related topics to research and present while at the conference.

However, one of the most interesting aspects of Model UN is that students were required to discuss and react to events as

they happened which mandated a deep familiarity with the interests and concerns of the nation they were assigned to represent.

Along with the formal sessions, the conference included crisis simulations where they woke up different delegations or cabinets to solve a midnight crisis. Sam Miller and McKinzie Jones were called upon to work on these midnight crises.

When they were not preparing or in conference, the SBS team sampled Chicago deep-dish pizza and strolled along the Miracle Mile where they had to bundle up against the cold.

The temperature was in the teens at night, and Sam Miller got to see snow for the first time!

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Class of 2011 AP Scholars: Alexander Chae, Danielle Cope, Bethany Dodson, Regan Fuerst, Ellen Geis, Kristen Gunn, Lauren Howell, Katie Lakenmacher, Garrett Luce, William McMichael AP Scholars with Honor: Sarah Hamilton, Ben Pfeffer, Emmy Plezia

SBS Announces 28 AP Scholars

Second Baptist School is proud to announce that 28 students in the Classes of 2010 and 2011 have earned Advanced Placement Scholar Awards for their performances on the AP Exams.

“We’re extremely proud of these kids for earning the AP Scholar recognition. This honor is a small reward for these students’ efforts in taking several of the most challenging courses we offer at SBS and excelling on the subsequent AP exams,” Nathan Barber, Head of Upper School, said.

Class of 2010 AP Scholars: Jenna Hendrick, Christopher Jolly, Andy Malone, Leah Wakefield AP Scholars with Honor: Emily Boyd, Katie LeVrier, Austin Price, Tyler Thomas AP Scholars with Distinction: Anna Blick, Walter Deere, Hallie Havard, Ellie Rosenthal, Leslie Slaughter, Lucy Spicer, William Whaley

AP Scholar – Scored 3 or higher on 3 or more exams AP Scholar with Honor – Scored 3 or higher on 4 or more exams with at least a 3.25 average on all exams taken AP Scholar with Distinction – Scored 3 or higher on 5 or more exams with at least a 3.5 average on all exams taken

Middle School Father/ Son Breakfast

More than 150 dads and their sons gathered earlier this year for the Middle School Father/Son Breakfast. The theme of the event was patriotism, and decorated war veteran Gary Wood was the featured speaker. Coach Wood is an Upper School teacher and one of the Eagles football coaches.

After an inspiring video about military men and women, Coach Wood began his presentation. With passion and enthusiasm, he recalled stories and showed photos of his service during the Vietnam War. Each photo had a story – a funny moment, a friend lost in combat, or a journey he had taken while fighting for the U.S.A. A special highlight was the photo of Coach Wood receiving the Purple Heart Medal. It was a moving presentation for the dads and sons to hear. After Coach Wood spoke, the audience quickly rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation.

Head of Middle School, Jon Guthrie, closed the breakfast by challenging the dads to be accountable to one another. He reminded them that their most important job is to be a great father.

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campus news Swimming the Distance

by Ashley Petkas ‘12 Second Baptist School is home to diversely talented students. Some excel in academics, some in fine arts, and others in athletics. In the case of eighth grader Matthew Delgado, swimming is something he is not only passionate about, but also good at.

Matthew participated in an open water competition in California called The Tiburon Mile. Over 850 swimmers came out to the San Francisco Bay to swim from Ayala Cove on Angel Island to the shore of Tiburon, all the while battling the chilly temperatures and rain.

“I used to live out in California when I was younger,” said Matthew.

“That’s how I became familiar with this swimming competition. I really wanted to take part in it, and when I turned thirteen my mother decided to let me.”

The Tiburon Mile is a very prestigious competition.

Participants range from elites to first timers. There were even a few Olympians in the competition.

Matthew was one of the youngest registered swimmers, but he did not let that stop him. Despite the strong competition and freezing temperatures, he was able to place 4th in his division and 90th overall.

Among the 850 contenders, only 45 crossed the finish line in under thirty minutes, some were out in the waters for over an hour and a half.

LS Teacher Participates in Panel Discussion

At the beginning of November, Lower School art teacher Kim Hystad Day ‘03, participated in two panel discussions centered on classroom management for education classes at the University of Houston, taught by professor and former SBS Middle School teacher Dr. Julie Vowell. The panels were open forums where upper level education students, who are preparing for their student teaching, were able to ask questions regarding specific management practices within the classroom.

“It was a great experience to share what I have learned during my past four years of teaching, techniques that I use in my classroom, and the amazing atmosphere of Second Baptist School,” Mrs. Day said. “I was grateful to have the opportunity to share with the students, as I feel that classroom management is a critical aspect of the learning process and the success of one’s classroom.”

Dr. Vowell was so impressed with Mrs. Day’s participation on the panel that she personally called the Lower School Office. She said Mrs. Day answered questions with ease and was a great representative for SBS!

Matthew came in with an impressive 32.1 minutes, and he has also set a goal for his next swim: “I really want to place first in my division,” says Matthew.

With his skill and determination, Matthew’s future in swimming definitely appears to be promising.

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First Annual Lower School Spelling Bee

US Classes Participate in Immigration Debates

by Danielle Cope ‘11 The Spanish and government classes recently combined for an interdisciplinary project. The Spanish classes (from Spanish I to AP Spanish V) have been watching La Misma Luna, or The Same Moon, a movie from the view of a small Mexican boy who illegally enters the U.S. to reach his mother. We were also given a packet to study with various statements about immigration. We researched these statements, finding the different positive and negative viewpoints of immigration.

For example, I found evidence for and against the statement “U.S. immigration policy has been fair to all groups entering the U.S.” Other statements were about the Dream Act or the building of a fence along our border with Mexico. Then during our class periods, we combined with the senior government classes, who had researched the same topics, and held an informal debate over our issues, writing our arguments on poster board.

We broke into five groups to discuss the varying opinions, from freshmen Spanish students to senior AP Government students.

We are all affected by immigration, by the people we know and our ancestors or family members who immigrated here. This was a creative and educational way to spend a class period and a great way to learn about my classmates.

LS Teachers Prioritize Learning

A great American tradition has arrived at the Second Baptist School campus. Forty-seven Lower School students participated in the first annual SBS Spelling Bee. One at a time, they stood in front of their peers, families, and judges, and recited aloud the spelling of their given word. Correctly spelling the word quadrilateral, John, from Mrs. Agnew’s fourth grade class, won the SBS Spelling Bee.

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As a professional development activity, the Lower School staff enjoyed a presentation by Dr. Debra Currie from the University of Houston – University Eye Institute.

She spoke about visual/spatial developmental delays and how

campus news teachers can help their students achieve academic success.

Research shows that all students can learn better when teachers deliver clear, explicit instruction, use graphic organizers to help clarify presented material, and teach students to order and un-clutter their workspace. It was a great afternoon for the Lower School teachers as they engaged in this important seminar.

Juniors Create Mousetrap Cars

by Joshua Kee ‘12 Last semester, SBS juniors learned how to convert the potential energy of a common spring-loaded mousetrap into the kinetic energy necessary to power a vehicle forward by designing and creating a toy car. Students must apply physics principles in order to complete specific tasks with the car: make it go in reverse, stop on a ramp, and go around in a circle. Reversing was perhaps the most difficult of these three tasks and generally, required a two-body car (two mousetraps connected with a bridge), one to power the mousetrap forward and one to power it backward. On the other hand, going up a ramp and stopping on an incline proved more difficult than imagined. Making the car turn in a circle actually proved to be the easiest task for many.

One could simply change the positioning of the axles.

Some people put a lot of ingenuity into their cars, using rubber bands to convert the mousetrap car’s kinetic energy into a way to propel the car backwards. Others designed more fanciful contraptions, replete with painted stripes and flames. Still others crafted sleek and efficient designs that performed the tasks excellently.

struck: wheels fell off, bridges broke, and entire axles threatened to detach. The juniors were nearly overwhelmed, but by the end of the day, the tasks had been completed and the battle won.

College Guidance and Birkman Test Helps Students Explore their Future

It’s the second semester, so juniors are making appointments with their college guidance counselor and beginning the college application process. One of the key elements in this process is finding direction on what students should study and where they should go to college.

SBS offers multiple opportunities for personal assessments that assist students and parents in making college decisions. The College Guidance office has the Learning Styles Profile and the Do What You Are personality test available through Naviance, a Web-based college software program. These tools assist students in discovering personality traits and learning needs which help direct their efforts in selecting the best college and path of study.

On a far more comprehensive scale, SBS also offers juniors and seniors the opportunity to take the Birkman at a special, discounted rate. The Birkman Method® combines motivational, behavioral and interest evaluation into a single assessment, providing a multidimensional and comprehensive

The day for test performance arrived. Not every test went according to the designer’s plan, and the challenges forced juniors to draw on their last shards of energy to fix their cars as various disasters

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Physics Students Build Hovercrafts

by Ladonna Bunnell ’11 In Physics Technology, one of our big projects is to build a hovercraft.

We learned about and applied Bernoulli’s principle of fluid dynamics.

In order to make the vehicle hover, you need a device that will force air into the skirt and create lift. As the air is trapped in the skirt it creates pressure and forces the vehicle to lift off the ground. The assignment has several parts in addition to just building the hovercraft. We had to analyze the three different skirt designs to determine which one worked the best to create the proper type of lift and thrust for the craft’s shape and design. Another part of the assignment included being able to employ a thrust and rudder system to redirect the air and steer through an obstacle course. My group used a second leaf blower pointing in the opposite direction of the original leaf blower to help steer the craft. This project was especially fun because the final test was the obstacle course which my group was able to complete successfully!

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campus news analysis. Students complete the questionnaire online in about 45 minutes, and then parents and students meet with Mrs. Diane Van Zandt, a certified Birkman consultant and former SBS Director of Admissions. She interprets the results for families in detail and helps discover students’ personality traits and possible career interests more in depth. It identifies underlying personal needs students can and should address as they look towards independence.

Mrs. Van Zandt says in all of her years as a counselor, Birkman has been the only test that identifies personality and interests and combines those with an assessment of a person’s usual and stress behaviors to give a more thorough evaluation.

More information about the Birkman can be found at www.vanzandtconsulting.com.

Student Leadership University Challenges US Students

by Colette Cope ‘13 Upper School students recently had the opportunity to hear some amazing speakers at the Student Leadership University. Dr. Jay Strack, founder and president of SLU, spoke about the good qualities of a leader. For example, a leader’s first thought is positive and he/she will do whatever it takes to get the job done. He gave the students a book to take notes throughout all the talks, because it is said that we forget 80 percent of what he hear if we do not take notes.

was right. When he took off his jacket and “became a Christian again,” he explained how we must be strong and use specific facts to defend Christianity. Also, when speaking to people with different beliefs than ours, we must still show love and respect. He spoke about how intelligent design was one of t he major defenses of Christianity.

He shared quotes from scientists who spoke about how it seemed as if a supernatural force created the universe.

Another great speaker who came to talk was Mark Conklin, Senior Manager of Leadership Development at Chick-fil-A. He spoke about how great leaders serve others. Conklin involved the crowd and gave away free Chickfil-A sandwiches, which made his talk even more enjoyable.

Chuck Allen, pastor and Student Leadership University President, came to speak about the four characteristics of DISC and time management. Each student took a test that determined what type of personality they were, whether D for dominance, I for influence, C for conscientious, or S for steadiness.

Allen did some funny imitations of each personality that got the whole room laughing. Then he spoke about how to better manage our time by using Google calendar and other tools.

The two days of Student Leadership University gave us tools and resources to become great leaders.

Sean McDowell, head of the Bible department at Capistrano Valley Christian Schools and among the top 100 apologists in the nation, came to speak about defending Christianity.

As practice, McDowell put on a jacket pretending to be an atheist and we had to ask him questions and give him reasons to believe in Christianity, without using the Bible. Some good points defending Christianity were made, but McDowell found a way to argue back and avoid answering the questions to make it appear he

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It’s No Mystery - The Book Fair Was a Success!

There were many “suspects” involved in the 2011 Book Fair “Mystery in the Library.” Over one hundred parent volunteers left their fingerprints throughout the library while helping in various capacities during the Book Fair. Generous donors also left prints in the library

by donating a record number of books for students to enjoy year after year.

Exiting the elevator on the sixth floor, visitors to the Book Fair witnessed a crime scene. A staged robbery scene was roped off by yellow crime scene tape to keep the evidence from being contaminated as people entered the library.

The decorations committee also provided detailed replicas of backgrounds straight from the books written by mystery writers Carole Marsh and Robert Liparulo.

Carole Marsh spoke to students in kindergarten through fourth grade. She entertained as well as fascinated the students as she talked about her travels to the various places around the world researching the settings for her books. She brought one of the characters with her to Second Baptist School. Mrs. Marsh’s personal assistant called the SBS Library after her visit, and said that Mrs. Marsh could not stop talking about the amazing Second Baptist School Book Fair.

The Middle and Upper School author Robert Liparulo did a great job reaching out to students. When he spoke to the Middle School students, he challenged them to help him come up with ideas for his next book.

In his novels, the characters arrive in a period of time and then have to figure out where they are and what to do. He told students that if he picked their idea to use in his upcoming book, they would win an iPod. That incentive really got the students excited about contributing ideas to Mr. Liparulo. When speaking to Upper School students during Book Fair week, Mr. Liparulo answered great questions about the writing process, and where his inspiration comes from.

Family Night is always an exciting time in the Library, and this year was no different. The authors were kept busy the entire night signing books for SBS families. Throughout the evening, families had the opportunity to purchase books during the special extended hours and meet the featured Book Fair authors.

A special thank you to the Book Fair Chairman Melissa Cordell, the Decorations Coordinator Stephanie Loveless, and the numerous parent volunteers that helped make the Book Fair a success.

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campus news Sixth Graders See Math From a Different Angle

In Javier Saavedra’s sixth grade math class, he often hears statements such as: “When am I going to use this in life?” or “Why do I have to learn this?” He finds this funny because as a child, he used to ask teachers the same questions. After many years, experience has shown him two things: first, math is gymnastics for the brain; second, it is also a powerful tool to solve problems in real life.

Lower School Readers Vote for Bluebonnet Award Books

“I want my students to experience the genuine satisfaction of solving problems in everyday situations,” Mr. Saavedra said.

In their math class, students have been working with geometry, and Mr. Saavedra found a unique way to make the knowledge useful and meaningful to the students.

To accomplish the goal, they went to the outdoor stairway leading to Jane’s Grill, which is a very familiar landmark on the SBS campus. They used the handrails to analyze the geometric construction of it.

“We had a great time finding line segments, different kinds of angles, and learning about the ability to apply our concepts in math outside the classroom,” Mr. Saavedra said.

“I am sure my students are learning now that gymnastics for the brain will pay dividends in due time.”

Third and fourth graders who read a minimum of 5 books from the 2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Awards list voted for their favorite qualifying book during the week of the Book Fair. SBS had an outstanding 108 students earn the privilege to vote in the Bluebonnet Award program. Out of the 108 students who were eligible to vote, 11 students had read all 20 books on the list, which entitled them to a special frosted cookie during the Bluebonnet voting party. As students arrived at the party, they registered to vote, just like they would register to vote in a political election. They checked in by signing their name, received a ballot, filled it out and then returned it to the ballot box. After they voted, they received the important “I VOTED” sticker. Once the hard work was done, they lined up to get a bluebonnet painted on their face or hand by an Upper School art student. They made sure not to leave without their bluebonnet frosted sugar cookies!

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Kindergarten Celebrates 100 Day

It was most anticipated day of the school year as Kindergarten students arrived at school on January 26 – more commonly known around the Kindergarten classrooms as “100 Day.” To celebrate, many of the students dressed as 100-year-olds, complete with gray hair, glasses and even some canes!

During the school day, Kindergarten teachers had activities planned that incorporated the number 100 into the students’ lessons. Some of the activities included placing 100 dots on a Dalmatian dog poster, stringing 100 Fruit Loops onto a necklace, putting their hand prints onto a poster until they had 100 fingers represented, and listening to a story about 100 Hungry Ants.

Incorporating math skills, they estimated how many cups of popcorn 100 kernels would pop.

For the writing exercise of the day, they wrote 100 “doing” words. For their Bible lesson, teachers read them the parable of the lost sheep, where the shepherd left behind his 99 sheep to find his one missing sheep.

Perhaps one of the students’ favorite activities on 100 Day is the 100-day rap they perform in the lunchroom for the Lower School students. It’s especially fun for the older students who can sing along, as they recall their 100th day of Kindergarten.

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The fun continued throughout the day as the students had a special visit from Zero the Hero.

Kindergartners sing a song every 10 days of school called “Zero the Hero,” so a visit from the Hero was especially exciting on the 100th day of school!

National Merit Finalists

The five SBS National Merit Semifinalists have stepped up to the next plateau in the country’s largest college scholarship competition. Danielle Cope, Joey Daniels, Bethany Dodson, Ellen Geis, and Kristen Gunn have all been named Finalists in the National Merit Scholarship competition. In order to continue in the competition to the Finalist level, these students had to complete applications that demonstrate they have performed at a high level in both their academics and extracurricular activities over the past three years.

The competition began in October 2009 when 1.5 million students took the PSAT, and of that 1.5 million, the Finalists represent the top 1% of students from each state. Now, the NMSC and other scholarship sponsors will consider these finalists for monetary awards.

Congratulations to our scholars.

SBS Employees Compete in Houston Marathon

SBS employees are always hard at work – and for some, their hard work lately has been in preparation for the Houston Marathon. Five employees ran the 13.1 mile course for the half marathon and two endured a 26.2 mile run for the full marathon, on Sunday, January 30.

Running the course in the rain, each of the employees proudly crossed the finish line.

Roxanne Worley, PE Teacher and Varsity Cross Country Coach, has been running her entire life, and entered her first marathon in 1997.

Because of two races she has already competed in during 2010, she has qualified for the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon, an impressive feat.

“I’m so grateful that God has given me this ability and passion for running. Every morning when I finish running, I thank God that He made me healthy and able to keep running,” Roxanne said.

Congratulations, SBS employees, for completing the race!

Sara Bingaman – Half Marathon Brittney Ford – Half Marathon Jon Guthrie – Marathon Troy Karcher – Half Marathon Abby Trammel – Half Marathon Dr. Jeff Williams – Marathon Roxanne Worley – Half Marathon

campus news

Two Seniors Selected to Illustrate Nationwide Children’s Book

by Caroline Wallace ‘11 The Souper Bowl of Caring is an organization designed to raise awareness and encourage people to fight hunger and poverty in their communities around the time of the NFL Super Bowl. It is important for everyone to participate, including kids, so Erica Burton-White (a fellow senior) and I were asked to illustrate a children’s story for the organization.

The book helps children understand where their food donations go in the community and why it is important to share with others.

Erica and I were both grateful for the opportunity to combine art with service and would like to thank Upper School Librarian Mrs. Julia Beddingfield for helping us along the way.

Kindergarten Proud of their Rock Collection

Eighth grade trip to Washington D.C.

Kindergarteners look at the teacher made collections and then the children bring a collection to share. On rock collection day, they observe their rocks for color – bright, dull, quality of color, and texture – rough or smooth. They do experiments to discuss the different weights of the rocks and the softness or hardness of the rocks.

These students become geologists for a day. They know the names of about four rocks from each type or group. They talk about the uses of these rocks like buildings, jewelry, powder, and chalk. To complete the study, they then illustrate a poem about rocks.

Tuesday morning, students rose early to board the buses for the Naval Academy in Annapolis. It was especially fun for our students to see the cadets going about their normal routines as we toured; students saw swimmers and

Every year Kindergarten studies rocks in January. They spend time discussing the three different types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. The students make volcanoes and explode them, look at sand, or build a sandwich to study the way it is layered in their discovery of sedimentary rocks.

by Nancy Wahl Spirits soared as the plane landed on a February Monday afternoon in our nation’s capitol for the annual eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. Congressman John Culberson’s wife, Belinda, met the plane, greeted students and accompanied the group to our first stop, The American and Natural History Museums. Laughter and smiles filled the halls of these historic buildings as students and their sponsors toured sights of interest and began making memories. In spite of their long day, our students rose to the challenge at the bowling alley and played many spirited games, visited and settled in to their trip groups.

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wrestlers as well as cadets walking about the academy and working in the dorm area. With the experiences of holocaust survivor Walter Kase fresh in their minds from his recent visit to SBS, students entered The Holocaust Museum reverently and were engrossed by the exhibits they saw and the stories they heard. The next stop on this emotional day was the Arlington National Cemetery where students had a guided tram tour through the cemetery and stopped at gravesites of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy before witnessing the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Wednesday began with a tour of the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial.

Next, we headed to the beautiful National Cathedral and then on to an amazing tour of The Pentagon and The 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.

Students walked the length of the Pentagon and saw historic artwork from the American Revolution to quilts and cards sent in memory of those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. At the 9/11 Memorial, the students were able to sign a book adding their condolences for the families of those lost. Next, we made our way to the Capitol where we had our picture taken on the steps of the Capitol with Congressman John Culberson, and had an opportunity to hear from the Congressman before he led them on a personal Christian tour of the Capitol.

After another memorable day, we enjoyed an adventure of ice-skating at the Sculpture Garden Ice Rink outside the National Gallery of Art. Thursday morning we boarded buses for a tour of Mount Vernon, the historic home of Martha and George Washington. On the agenda was a tour of the home, the grounds, the fabulous new visitor’s center, and, of course, the gift shop. We then headed to the Iwo Jima Memorial where students

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saw the life-size bronze model of a photograph of Marine Corps members raising a flag at Iwo Jima.

Next was a tour of the Bureau of Engraving and then a trip to the Lincoln, Vietnam War and Korean War Memorials. The weather was perfect. It was wonderful to see and hear the students connecting what they saw at the memorials to all they have learned about our nation’s history.

Next was a trip to Ford’s Theater and Museum. Students enjoyed seeing memorabilia from Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth and were able to look inside the box where Lincoln was seated on that fateful night. It was fascinating to hear that the theater is once again a working theater. After another eventful day, we enjoyed dinner in the Baltimore Inner Harbor for our last night together in our nation’s capitol.

Students and sponsors were up early on our last morning in D.C. to pack and then loaded the buses to go to the White House.

It was a special treat to be in this historic home, to walk the halls of so many presidents, and to see the beautiful East Room, Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room and State Dining Room. After leaving the White House, students visited the Newseum, which was a fabulous experience that included six floors of our history in the news. Favorite exhibits here were displays about major hurricanes, 9/11, a 4-D movie about Nellie Bly, the NBC News Interactive Newsroom, and a gallery of newspapers that included one about the sinking of the Titanic.

Parents welcomed students with open arms at the airport and took them home for some rest after a long, full week of travel and excitement.

When back at school teachers asked the students, “What one thing about your 8th grade trip to Washington D.C. would you never want to forget?”

campus news Responses varied but included, “The breakfast at the hotel every morning!”

“The memorials. It was really eye opening to see how many people have really died in major wars for people they didn’t even know.”

“Living and hanging out with my friends for a week. I got to see them on a different level, and we were all experiencing the same things together.”

me to know about our nation’s tragedies and victories. I pray I never forget what it was like to visit the Pentagon.”

“Learning about the military at the Pentagon. It is important to

Chinese Students Visit SBS Students

by Preston Williams ’13 A group of students from Chengdu, China came to the United States and visited Houston and Second Baptist School in February. The Chinese students stayed in host homes with Middle School students while they were in Houston and shadowed several Upper School students to get a perspective of what a school day in America is like, including attending a pep rally.

I had the privilege of hosting Tiger, a 12 year old from Chengdu, and showing him around the campus. We had some great memories – and even had a few conversations get lost in translation. It was a unique experience, and I hope we can have this event for many more years to come – well at least until I graduate!

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Campus news

Fine arts news

SBS is the first school in the nation to perform Disney Corporation’s pilot version of Peter Pan for middle school performances. This was a unique opportunity for SBS students and SBS directors, Cindy Blades and Claire Copeland, to work in conjunction with the writers and musicians at Disney on the middle school adaptation of one of the most beloved musicals of all time. (page 20)

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SBS Artists Bring Home the Ribbons in Rodeo Art

SBS artists recently competed in the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Program Competition, which receives more than 300,000 entries each year. The students used a variety of media and themes – everything from bulls to cowboys were represented in this fun competition. Congratulations to the Upper, Middle and Lower School artists on their top ribbons!

Lower School Artists Blue Ribbon Evan (Kindergarten) Kennedy (Kindergarten) Rachel (1st grade) Isabel (1st grade) Jack (1st grade) Carlie (2nd grade) Andrew (2nd grade) Valeska (2nd grade) Red Ribbon Mimi Grace (2nd grade) Joshua (3rd grade) Abbey (3rd grade) Michaela (3rd grade) White Ribbon Scott (4th grade) Sophie (4th grade)

Mackenzie (4th grade) Catherine (4th grade) Middle School Artists Blue Ribbon Kayla Cecil (7th grade) Red Ribbon Christa Winburn (7th grade) Margaret Hoffman (7th grade) Abby Jardine (8th grade) White Ribbon Taylor Thompson (8th grade) Upper School Artists Gold Medal Caroline Wallace (12th grade) Blue Ribbon Jessica Zhang (11th grade) Red Ribbon Mitzy Ayala (12th grade) The gold medal is one of the four top prizes at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo School Art Competition. Caroline’s artwork was prominently displayed in Hayloft Gallery throughout the run of the show. She is also eligible to apply for a two-week workshop in painting/ drawing in Kerrville this summer.

Congratulations to Caroline.

Seniors Perform in All-State Choir

Seniors Garrett Luce and William McMichael recently went to San Marcos to participate in the Texas Private School Music Educators All-State weekend. They spent Thursday and Friday in intense rehearsals with guest clinician/ conductor, Dr. Alan Raines. Dr. Raines is the Director of Choral Activities at Baylor University. The TPSMEA All-State Choir is an auditioned group composed of the best choral students in private schools in the state of Texas.

Garrett and William auditioned for All-Region Choir during the fall

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fine arts news Save the Date semester and made the final cut to perform in the All-State Choir, a great honor for these seniors.

Saturday, the group performed at Evans Auditorium on the Texas State University campus. Dr. Raines told the audience that conducting the choir was the most wonderful experience for him. He also commended the parents of these students for their support of the fine arts in private schools.

MS Artists Work Displayed

Seventh and eighth grade drawing classes had their longhorn and horse drawings along with other art on display during the Middle School Art Exhibit. Their drawings were for the Houston Rodeo competition, and five of them were selected for entry into the January competition.

The sphere drawings in the exhibit were an exercise for the students to learn about shading and value. In the abstract self-portraits, students learned about proportion and value – they had to use different letter fonts to define the dark and light areas. There were also some animal drawings that were fragmented, which went along with their recent lesson about Cubism.

Tickets are on sale n thehobby center.org ow – go to www. to pu You won’t want to m rchase tickets! iss this energetic show, as w fun, celebra e te 25 ye ars of m at Seco usicals nd Bapt ist Scho Thursday, ol!

Ap Friday, Ap ril 28 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, ril 29 – 7:30 p.m.

Ap Sunday, M ril 30 – 7:30 p.m. ay 1 – 2:3 0 p.m.

The sixth grade 3D class carved self-portraits (and 3D objects) to showcase during the exhibit. They studied relief sculpture when making the portraits. The students studied Pop Art when they made the ceramic pies, and full-round sculpture when creating the toothpick windmills. Sixth graders also studied piñatas and masks.

During the exhibit, their duct tape Terra Cotta Warrior action figures were on display, which the students really enjoyed making because their arms and legs are moveable.

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A Magical Journey with W

ith a little faith, trust and pixie-dust, Peter Pan and the Darling children literally flew away to Never Land during the Middle School Musical, Peter Pan, Jr. The ensemble of more than 90 students rehearsed for more than two months to prepare for a show performed to four sold-out audiences.

Complete with eye-catching sets, fabulous lights and spectacular costumes, the show was professional, high-energy and brought loads of fun to the audience members who felt they themselves had been transported to the magical world of Never Land.

A highlight of the musical was watching Peter and company taking flight. After several sessions of intense flying rehearsals with a professional flying company, these actors created Broadway scenes that provided an unforgettable memory for all.

The addition of the fairies also added a fresh new twist to this classic.

Until this year, there has been only one musical version of Peter Pan in existence with licensing rights held by Samuel French Publishing Company. Recently, Disney Corporation wrote a pilot version for middle school performances and asked SBS to be the first school in the nation to perform this highly exclusive adaptation. This was a unique opportunity for SBS directors, Cindy Blades and Claire Copeland, to work in conjunction with the writers and musicians at Disney on the middle school adaptation of one of the most beloved musicals of all time.

Mrs. Blades was delighted to offer students the chance to produce an original work. “What an opportunity for these students to be the first to produce something. It was amazing to have them sing music and speak dialogue that had never been performed on stage before. There were no preconceived ideas as to how to perform a character,� she says. The students rose to the occasion and delivered a spectacular rendition of Peter Pan. The musical would not have been possible without the tireless work of all the parents behind the scenes who helped make the show a success. A big round of applause goes to the talented directors, Cindy Blades and Claire Copeland, for their tremendous dedication and inspiration and to the cast members on their show-stopping performances!

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Athletic news

The SBS Boys Team finished in first place (State Champions), and the SBS Girls Team finished in second place (State Runners-Up) at this year’s 2011 TAPPS State Swim Meet.

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! s p ham

C e t Sta

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athletic news Third Place Finishes (3): Girls 50 Free: 27.73 – Margaret Hartman; time drop – .47 seconds at state Girls 100 Free: 1:01.39 – Katharine Kimmel; time drop – .33 seconds at state Girls 400 FR: 4:17.32 – Margaret Hartman, Katie Lakenmacher, Grace Pfeffer, Katharine Kimmel Results of the State Meet:

Varsity Swimming

The SBS Boys Team finished in first place (State Champions), and the SBS Girls Team finished in second place (State Runners-Up) at this year’s 2011 TAPPS State Swim Meet held February 11-12 at the Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio. Congratulations to all the SBS swimmers! The SBS Boys team broke seven SBS records at the meet! This is the second state championship title for the SBS Boys swim team with the last title coming in 2004. The second place at state is the highest finish for a SBS Girls swim team in school history.

“When we found out that we were going to win second, because we had been hopeful for third, it was really exciting. I’m a senior, so ending my high school career with a win like that was pretty awesome.

When we won our 200 meter free style relay, that was a big moment for me because when I started my freshman year, there were only two girls on the team. We didn’t even have enough people for a relay.

Over the past four years, we really turned it around and made the team what it is today,” Claudia Mills said.

Coach Mark Hahn was especially excited for this group of seniors to win as three of them have been on the swim team since the seventh grade.

“The seniors and the entire team have made this season especially fun. Who would have thought six years ago, that the original members from seventh grade would be the group to win state? I’m so glad that these students have stuck with swimming. I am very proud of our team,” Coach Hahn said.

SBS Boys Team – School Records: 200 Medley Relay: 1:46.67 – Collin Whalen 28.69, John Van Anglen 28.55, Jason Blades 26.57, Jerry Leung 22.86 200 IM: 2:06.04 – John Van Anglen 50 Free: 22.50 – Jerry Leung 1M Diving (11): 185.85 – Jason Blades 100 Back: 59.71 – Collin Whalen 100 Breast: 1:01.03 – John Van Anglen 400 FR: 3:32.17 – Ben Pfeffer 53.59, Collin Whalen 51.94, Ryan Pool 54.77, John Van Anglen 51.87 First Place Finishes (4): Boys 200 MR: 1:46.67 – Collin Whalen 28.69, John Van Anglen 28.55, Jason Blades 26.57, Jerry Leung 22.86; broke SBS record by .51 seconds Girls 200 FR: 1:53.18 – Margaret Hartman 27.81, Claudia Mills 29.25, Grace Pfeffer 28.17, Katharine Kimmel 27.95 Boys 100 Breast: 1:01.03 – John Van Anglen; broke SBS record by .37 seconds Boys 400 FR: 3:32.17 – Ben Pfeffer 53.59, Collin Whalen 51.94, Ryan Pool 54.77, John Van Anglen 51.87; broke SBS record by over 7 seconds set last year at state!

Second Place Finishes (5): Boys 200 IM: 2:06.04 – John Van Anglen; broke SBS record by 2.42 seconds Boys 50 Free: 22.50 – Jerry Leung; broke SBS record by .23 seconds Boys 200 FR: 1:37.70 – Ben Pfeffer 23.74, Jason Blades 24.00, Ben Riggle 25.23, Ryan Pool 24.73 Boys 100 Back: 59.71 – Collin Whalen; broke SBS record by 3.0 seconds Boys 100 Breast: 1:06.99 – Ben Pfeffer; time drop – 3.36 seconds at state

Fourth Place Finishes (1): Girls 100 Free: 1:01.69 – Margaret Hartman; time drop – 1.75 seconds at state Fifth Place Finishes (5): Girls 200 MR: 2:20.01 – Katie Lakenmacher, April Van Anglen, Claudia Mills, Alyse Walters; time drop – 2.07 seconds at state Girls 200 Free: 2:16.53 – Katharine Kimmel; time drop - .38 seconds at state Girls 50 Free: 27.82 – Grace Pfeffer; time drop – .19 seconds at state Boys 1M Diving (11): 185.85 – Jason Blades; point increase – 20.45 at state Boys 500 Free: 5:49.04 – Ryan Pool; time drop – 25.59 second drop at state Sixth Place Finishes (3): Boys 200 Free: 2:05.99 – Ben Riggle; time drop – 10.04 seconds at state Boys 200 IM: 2:18.84 – Ben Pfeffer; time drop – 4.87 second drop at state Girls 100 Free: 1:02.73 – Grace Pfeffer; time drop – .29 second drop at state Seventh Place Finishes (2): Boys 200 Free: 2:06.81 – Ryan Pool; time drop – 3.33 seconds at state Boys 500 Free: 6:12.23 – Ben Riggle; time drop – 21.7 seconds at state Eighth Place Finishes (1): Girls 200 Free: 2:26.33 – Claudia Mills The Swim Team seniors include Jason Blades, Jacob Doty, John Durie, Katie Lakenmacher (Team Captain), Matthew McKellar, Claudia Mills, Ben Pfeffer (Team Captain), Ryan Pool, and Ben Riggle.

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Women’s Soccer Ends Season In Playoffs

Congratulations to our Lady Eagles on a great soccer season! They ended their season with a 5-0 loss to Dallas Parish Episcopal School in the Bi-District Championship.

Coached by Geoff Brooks and Heather McGivern, they finished out the year with a 12-9 record.

We are proud of our graduating seniors: Ellen Geis, Kimber Walker, Ladonna Bunnell, Ruth Anne Holiday, Sarah Hamilton, and Ana Isabel Appedole. The team is looking forward to a great season next year!

Seniors Lead the Way for Men’s Soccer Team

For the Men’s Varsity Soccer team, it was a season of ups and downs.

In spite of losing both goalies and other players to injuries, the team made significant improvements throughout the season. One of the great bonuses for the year was being able to play three home games on campus, and winning two of the three games.

The seniors did a great job of leading by setting the example of hard work and forging a real team spirit. For the first time the Varsity Men’s Soccer team had a First Team, All-District, award that went to Tanner Crake. Adam Hammer, Patrick Riner and Nick Howard were named to the Second Team, All-District. Honorable Mention AllDistrict awards went to Joey Daniels, Jacob Wallace and Chris Maurer.

Women’s Basketball Finishes Season at Regionals

The Varsity Women’s Basketball Team had a great season, placing third in district and qualifying for the playoffs. They fell in the regional playoffs to Fort Worth

Christian in a close game. Working hard together all year, they beat some top teams in the district and state. Seniors graduating on the team include: Maddie Peveto, Emmy Plezia, Victoria DeBerry and Caroline Wallace.

Men’s Basketball Qualifies for State Tournament

The Men’s Varsity Basketball Team ended their season with a district record of 14-3 and overall 22-14.

The proudly made it to the Final Four, once again, in Mansfield, Texas. They played Arlington Grace Prep and lost by one point in the final seconds of the game.

Although it was a tough loss, the team is proud of their hard work this season. The team had a successful year, with one of the highlights including a trip to Kentucky in December to play in the Racing to the Rim Showcase Tournament.

The tournament featured some of the top basketball prospects from across the country. Seniors graduating on the team include: Charles Allen, Kevin Campbell, Alex Cooper and Julien Person.

Varsity Cheerleaders Win at Competition

by Margaret Maurer ‘11 This year, the Varsity Cheerleaders decided to enter the competitive cheerleading world in the United Cheer Texas Open Championship.

For months leading up to the competition the cheerleaders practiced at the Pride of Texas gym facilities; they worked with topnotch choreographers and cheer coaches to learn and master an intensely challenging routine.

“Since the competitive routine is longer and more of a combination of all our skills, we try and utilize the best of everything from stunting to tumbling to dancing,” Amy Rosenthal, sophomore, said.

The girls preformed their routine at a pep rally the week before

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athletic news their competition as a test run, and the positive response gave them encouragement to persevere through the last week of practice.

“When the day of our competition came, I was definitely nervous but also excited, a mix of both,” Courtney Lewis, junior, said.

The girls warmed up and ran through their routine a few final times before getting ready to perform. One of the most special moments occurred right before the girls took the floor as the captains led the squad in a prayer and motivational speech.

“Remember, this is our last time to ever do this routine so let’s just make it the best,” Kaitlyn Kellam, senior, said.

Then the Varsity Cheerleaders marched out onto the floor and did just that. After soundly nailing their routine, the cheerleaders learned during the awards ceremony they had received first place in the high school squads division. For all the weeks of practice and hard work, the girls felt nothing more could have solidified their excitement.

Elyse Elsenbrook, junior, said, “Winning our cheer competition is one of those magical memories of high school you never forget.”

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Three Seniors Sign Letters of Intent to Play College Athletics

Jason Blades has committed to play football at Johns Hopkins University. His senior year has been nothing short of impressive as he received TAPPS First Team AllDistrict honors for both offense and defense, TAPPS All-State Honorable Mention for Offense, and was

named the Built Ford Tough Texas Private High School Player of the Week. Head Coach Mike Sneed said that he has thoroughly enjoyed coaching Jason, especially since Jason was a freshman during Coach Sneed’s first year at SBS. “Jason is just an incredible kid – and we had the chance to play him on both sides of the ball this year. He would finish a game with a high

number of yards per carry and defensive tackles,” Coach Sneed said. “Then, he would get up on Saturday mornings and run cross country – he’s a tremendous athlete.”

Alex Cooper has signed a letter of intent to play football at the University of Houston. Alex is one of 22 incoming UH athletes to receive a full scholarship to play football. Alex began playing football during his junior year at SBS, after Coach Sneed helped persuade him to try out. During the official signing ceremony, held in the Woliver-Anderson Library, Coach Sneed said that he is looking forward to watching Alex play close to home at UH, and he is glad that Alex gave football a chance.

“Alex is a kid with raw talent, who hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface of his potential,” Coach Sneed said. “Alex is the kind of kid you want your son to be like one day – he takes care of everyone.”

Representing the baseball program, four-year Varsity pitcher Jay Calhoun, signed a letter of intent to play at Dallas Baptist University. Jay was recently named to the All-Houston Pre-Season Baseball First Team which is chosen out of all Houston-area high schools. During his junior year, Jay was named to the first-team for TAPPS All-District and All-State.

Jeff Schroeder, Head Baseball Coach and Athletic Director, said, “It has been a unique pleasure watching the father/son dynamics on and off the field with Jay and Jeff Calhoun the past three years.

Jay has really flourished and excelled under the guidance of his father, Jeff, who serves as the pitching coach for the baseball program. Jay follows a long line of quality pitchers that have been developed in our program, and DBU is fortunate to sign a player with all his abilities and qualities.

Far more rewarding as a coach is to see a young man mature as a leader and go about his business with great character and integrity.”

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athletic news TAPPS All-District and All-State Honors Congratulations to the following football players, volleyball players, soccer players and swim team members on their accolades from TAPPS.

FOOTBALL

First Team All-District Offense Jason Blades Russell Ramsey Will Zimmerman Defense Jason Blades Carter Brown Camden Joubert Second Team All-District Offense Darius Bowen Jeremiah Briscoe Chris Callahan James Rickaway Defense Thomas Anderson Isaiah McDuffie Honorable Mention All-District Offense Micah Adickes David Buckley Defense Kyle Hendrick David Kreston First Team All-State Defense Camden Joubert Honorable Mention All-State Offense Jason Blades Russell Ramsey

Second Team All-District Adam Hammer Nick Howard Patrick Riner Honorable Mention All-District Joey Daniels Chris Maurer Jacob Wallace Academic All-State Tanner Crake

SOCCER – Women Second Team All-State Sarah Hamilton First Team All-District Ellen Geis Sarah Hamilton Meagan Maloney Molly Tollett Second Team All-District Sara Bresser Ladonna Bunnell Kendall Looney Grace Peacock Kimber Walker Honorable Mention All-District Ashley Elliott Ally Finken Alyssa Melillo Jennifer Mohler

SWIMMING

Second Team All-District Vanessa Vandenworm

First Team All-State Jason Blades Margaret Hartman Katharine Kimmel Jerry Leung Claudia Mills Ben Pfeffer Grace Pfeffer Ryan Pool John Van Anglen Collin Whalen

Honorable Mention All-District Savannah Wilkinson

Second Team All-State Ben Riggle

Honorable Mention All-State Emily Walker

Honorable Mention All-State Katie Lakenmacher

Academic All-State Caroline Wallace

Academic All-State Jason Blades John Durie Ben Pfeffer Ryan Pool Ben Riggle John Van Anglen

VOLLEYBALL

First Team All-District Emily Walker Caroline Wallace

SOCCER – Men

First Team All-District Tanner Crake

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Tradition and

In

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novation

in the SBS Classroom [ BY

J O H A NN A H K E RS E Y ]

T

raditions form the fabric of our lives. By connecting our experiences, they create order, set standards, and provide stability. Without them, life would mean a series of new beginnings.

While not all traditions are worth keeping, some traditions are so valuable they stay in existence for generations, bringing purpose and inspiration to the events that shape us.

So it is with traditions at Second Baptist School. A set of rich traditions binds the SBS community. A heritage of excellence in academics, service and leadership, athletic prowess, and faith in Christ provide a firm foundation on which the School is able to grow.

In particular, traditions pave the way for future “Without tradition, art learners in the classroom.

Proven teaching practices is a flock of sheep and educational programs influence the classroom without a shepherd. experience and ensure that a quality education is Without innovation, preserved.

it is a corpse.”

To keep the School advancing, innovation is also a necessary – Winston Churchill component. Innovation provides a spark that ignites the flame of learning. The classroom is a dynamic place where traditions are valued for their worth, and innovation is warranted for its potential. While traditions provide that important element of continuity, innovation infuses the classroom with new modes of learning, keeps pace with the needs of students, and anticipates the skill sets needed for success in the future marketplace.

SBS is proud of the traditions and innovations that create excellence in the classroom.

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Tradition & INNOVATION

The Bond of Traditions A Tradition of Excellence: Classroom Structure High expectations exist for students at every academic level. Whether they are learning how to read or grasping complex calculus problems, a structured classroom environment is a necessary factor for creating a place where learning flourishes. Starting in PreKindergarten, students learn the importance of working well with others, a disciplined approach to learning, and organizational methods. Once that framework is established, students are able to fully engage in the material and stretch their imaginations in a secure, supportive environment.

A Great Beginning Anyone who has visited PK, Bridge or Kindergarten classrooms knows it is a magical place for young learners. A snapshot of Mrs. Jennings’ Bridge classroom reveals student artwork prominently displayed, a weather chart for the current day, and the Bible verse. Every activity is meaningful and infused with joy. To engage this young age group, Mrs. Jennings sings instructions. When asking them to gather their folders for learning time, she sings, “Get an office.” To make sure her students are listening, she sings, “Wave your arm if you hear me.”

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In the fall, Mrs. Jennings was taking her learners through the Beginning to Read, Write and Listen series by McGraw Hill.

To bridge the material, she reminded them what they had learned the day before about beginning sounds and then introduced the new material of middle sounds in words. As she led them through a series of exercises, she gave them encouragement and instruction. “I see beautiful writing,” she said. “Look at my eyes when you are finished.” At every moment, she knew what each student Whether they are was doing. She also helped students learning how to read make associations between the words or grasping complex they learned and their calculus problems, a everyday lives. When introducing the word structured classroom “fish,” she reminded them that they had environment is a seen fish in the pond the day before. necessary factor for

creating a place where learning flourishes.

All the PK, Bridge and Kindergarten teachers provide this

IN THE SBS CLASSROOM

kind of amazing beginning for students. Through their passion for teaching and generosity of heart, they launch students onto a road to greatness. From a young age, students are invited to enjoy the learning process.

A Tradition of Support: Teacher Involvement Along the journey through Second Baptist School, faculty members are supportive of students at every juncture.

From PK to senior year, the teachers truly care about the lives of their students and motivate them to succeed. Most importantly, teachers have a servant’s attitude to help students thrive academically and spiritually. Coaches and teachers alike are also there for students to help them make good decisions and guide them in the right direction.

Going the Extra Mile to Help Students Learn Any student who has participated in Mrs. Wells’ Lunch Bunch program can regale you with memories of these fun, productive study sessions. Lunch Bunch came about as a way to offer extra help to students during the day. “This time can mean the difference between a B and an A,” says Mrs. Wells. Students come to this study session for a variety of reasons. Some students appreciate having more practice problems to help them solidify a concept. Others students are trying to catch up after an absence. Students who want to go over previous tests have the chance to do so one-onone with Mrs. Wells. “Those students who avail themselves of the time find it to be not only rewarding but also fun!

Imagine that,” says Mrs. Wells.

Students also appreciate the study sessions at Mrs. Wells’ home before finals. The tradition began the first year Mrs. Wells arrived at SBS. She remembers fondly the origin of this tradition. “At the end of class one day in early December, one of the boys asked if he could come to my house for tutoring before the final. Well, as you can imagine, others piped up and said, ‘Well I want to come too!’ I found it difficult to comprehend this request. I had been teaching in public school for 31 years, and no one ever asked if he or she could come to my house for help!”

Years later, students still come to Mrs. Wells’ house for twohour intensive study sessions before final exams. Traditions like these created by Mrs. Wells make learning come alive for students and help them make meaningful connections.

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Tradition & INNOVATION

A Tradition of Public Speakers: the Lower School Programs Traditions start early at SBS. The Lower School programs serve as monumental opportunities for students to learn a subject matter in depth and then perform it in front of supportive audience members. Most importantly, students learn from a young age the importance of performing and speaking in front of a crowd. They overcome fears of shyness, develop public speaking skills, and gain confidence that they have something special to share with others.

A Good Old-Fashioned Hoedown: PK and Bridge During the Houston Rodeo, the PK and Bridge classes come together in the E Gym to celebrate all things Texas.

The Hoedown marks the first grandparents’ program in the Lower School. Since 1993, the children have dressed in cowboy boots, jeans, bandanas and petticoats and square danced to favorite tunes such as “Buffalo Gal,” “Turkey in the Straw” and “Raise the Barn.” Mrs. Decie Richardson, the organizer of the event, is proud of what these young students accomplish through this program.

“In addition to learning new songs and how to square dance, they also receive an introduction to Texas pride and heritage.”

There is a lot of preparation for the event that goes on behind the scenes. Students work together with the music teacher, motor skills instructor and decorating committee to pull the program together. They develop important coordination skills as they learn the dance steps. Also, they learn interesting information about Texas history. The Bridge class presents the Texas facts to the audience. From the beginning, students learn the fun involved in entertaining an audience. After the program, the performers and their families come together for a reception.

“What I Want To Be When I Grow Up” in Celebration of Grandparents Day: First Grade For over 15 years, first graders have been participating in this unique tradition of presenting their God-given dreams to parents and grandparents. Helping students identify their passions at a young age is a crucial step for discovering where God wants to use them in the future.

The program is the culmination of an integrated language arts/social studies unit called Jobs in America, Past and Present. Students learn about a variety of jobs while using

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IN THE SBS CLASSROOM

important research skills. As part of the project, they write an acrostic poem about their profession.

From astronaut to zookeeper, the children parade down the center aisle of the Sanctuary wearing costumes representing their ideal professions. Afterwards, they take turns standing in front of a large banner decorated with butterflies and whimsical potted flowers, which reads “God’s Children are His Garden.” Individually and as a group, they sing a catchy song pertaining to their future career. To continue the celebration, parents, grandparents, students and faculty members gather in the Deacon’s Parlor where a variety of snacks are served. Special photographs of grandparents with their favorite first grader are taken as a keepsake. On display at the event are sculptures of students’ respective professions, crafted by them.

Mrs. Mary White, who organizes the program, loves to see what this special event does for the children. “Students gain confidence and experience in public speaking and singing. Most importantly, they learn they are precious children of God full of promise and potential.

The lyrics and script clearly explain that the Lord has a wonderful plan for each of these first graders as they go through life ‘hand in hand’ with Him.”

Most importantly, students learn

from a young age the importance of

Truly a team effort, the program would not be possible without the support of the Lower School Team.

In addition to the first grade teachers, Liza Brown, the music teacher, Kim Day, the art teacher, Erin Johnson, the Bible teacher, and Katie Gold, the computer teacher, help bring the production together.

performing and

speaking in front of a crowd.

Presidents’ Day Parade: Second Grade For 20 years, students have enjoyed the Presidents’ Day Parade, a day of festivity, reflection and patriotism.

Students enter second grade excited about the President’s Day Parade. The Sanctuary is transformed into a smalltown square decked out in red, white and blue with a

large American flag hanging over the stage. The students enter fully decked out in the historical costumes of presidents and first ladies.

In order to prepare for this special day, they spend three months studying the presidents and first ladies. They read a number of books together as a class and complete an extensive research project on the figures they will portray.

They also memorize a speech about their president or first lady, which they recite during the performance.

Mrs. Linder, who organizes the program, sees learning come alive for students. “Students become an active participant in learning,” she says. “I love the history of our country and feel that teaching students to appreciate our forefathers and what they have done to ensure our liberties is imperative to developing their own patriotic spirit.”

Like the first grade program, the President’s Day Parade is an interdisciplinary project that involves art, technology, history, drama and music. At the reception, the portraits of presidents and first ladies created by the students are on display.

The Jesus Freak Program: Fourth Grade The Jesus Freak has been around for about a decade and centers around the Bible curriculum at SBS. What students study in Bible classes is brought to life through songs, dancing, speaking, sign language, scripture memory and even some acrobatic flips down the aisle.

Written by Dianna Bolling and Klare Bambrick, the musical showcases many well-known Bible stories through song and dance from the 1970’s. Students dress in tie-dye shirts, and the Sanctuary is decorated to reflect a 70’s-style theme.

This fun-filled program helps students apply Bible knowledge to everyday situations. Fourth grade teacher Mrs. Mary Ramey organizes the program. “The students have the opportunity to act out and sing about the Jesus Freaks they have studied in the Bible,” she explains.

During the performance, one student plays the part of Peter and teaches a “baby Jesus Freak” how to become a Jesus Freak. While teaching, he will introduce Paul who will then tell about his conversion. Then, Paul will introduce John and James. The show continues as the major biblical characters are introduced and dramatized.

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A Tradition of Skilled Writers: the Writing Program Starting in Lower School, writing is emphasized in every subject matter. Through stories, poems and essays, students learn the basic writing process and build upon that framework. By Middle School, students are primed to begin the research process. They learn the skills of online research and how to put their words together with quoted and paraphrased source material. Students also practice these research skills in a wide range of courses. This crossdisciplinary approach shows students that writing is a skill that transcends subject matter. With that being said, English courses provide the laboratory for learning to write well.

Mrs. Ruth Dale, head of the English Department, has witnessed the value of the research paper for students over the decades. In particular, she emphasizes how the senior research project turns students into not only great writers but also scholars. As seniors, students select an established author and research this individual in depth. They have the opportunity to visit college libraries to learn about researching on the college level. This experience helps students not feel overwhelmed by the size of the library when they use it as a freshman in college. Then, they deliver an oral presentation to educate other students about this author. After extensive research, they write a research paper about themes in the author’s works.

“As a result of this project and the presentations, all students within the class have a nodding acquaintance with many of the major writers of the Western world.

This project becomes an independent study for students as they read literature for analysis and appreciation, gaining understanding of the nuances and style inherent in any good text,” Mrs. Dale explains.

Through writing

research papers, students gain

experience in critical reading, insightful thinking, and

Senior Kristen Gunn, who studied author Tom Stoppard for her senior research project, has enjoyed the process immensely. “Reading works by my senior author didn’t feel like typical ‘required’ reading,” she says. “My senior author taught me that I can

expressive writing.

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live in the world of ideas without growing weary if I simply take a step back and realize how beautifully the pieces of this world fit together.”

Through writing research papers, students gain experience in critical reading, insightful thinking, and expressive writing. Mrs. Dale also stresses that the research paper “inspires students to become lifelong learners for whom inquiry is second nature.” Without fail, English teachers often hear from many graduates who say that their papers are being read by professors to their college classes as examples of great writing.

A Tradition of Christ-Centered Learning: Bible Courses SBS is committed to the training of consecrated young people in areas of knowledge that will allow them to understand clearly, think deeply, judge wisely, and have the courage to live their lives on the great principles and convictions of biblical truth. In order to fulfill this goal, SBS continues to bring students into personal relationship with Jesus Christ and equip them with excellence for that which God calls them to do. The integration of faith and learning in classrooms provides an opportunity to help students grow in their faith and share this knowledge with others.

For students, the Bible classroom is a safe haven: a place of freedom, discovery and renewal. Every moment of the class is geared to engaging the hearts, souls and minds of students. Through close study of the Bible, personal application of biblical truth, project-related learning, scripture memory and book discussions, students are equipped to confront issues and establish a strong relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Bible classroom is also a place of prayer where students have the opportunity to voice prayer requests and lift up each other before the Father. Students establish prayer partnerships within the school and with other

IN THE SBS CLASSROOM

students in the SBS community. They see lives change and needs answered through their faithful prayers.

A Glimpse of Bible Class In Lower School Bible classes with Mrs. Erin Johnson, students sit in a circle around the room, which promotes discussion and engagement. She makes her classroom a place of joy but also an environment where serious learning takes place.

When studying the life of Peter, one lesson focused on Peter’s response to Christ when asked, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Peter replied in Matthew 16:16: “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.” In order to illuminate the meaning of this verse, Mrs. Johnson instructed each student to look up the word

Legacy Passing on a

Christ in the Strong’s Concordance in front of them. Using research skills, they learned that Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, which means “the anointed” or “smeared with oil.” Then, Mrs. Johnson discussed with students the meaning of this definition and listened to their thoughts. Conversations like these help students understand the richness of the Bible.

At the end of class, students stood to recite their memory verse. Mrs. Johnson had taught them vivid motions to help them remember the verse. They shouted the verse aloud as they did their motions on cue. Their enthusiasm for the Bible was obvious as they proclaimed God’s word loudly and confidently for all the world to hear.

How would you describe your time at SBS as a student?

Ms. Nora Ashkar knows a thing or two about traditions around the halls of SBS. A former student and now a teacher, she has experienced both sides of the Second experience. After attending NYU, she pursued a career in the film, fashion and graphic design industries in New York City for four years. Then she returned to Houston to teach alongside her former teacher Ms. Linda Parker in art and photography. Today, she has come full circle as she inspires the next generation.

As a student, I found my SBS experience full of opportunities and hard work, but also full of fun. I lived in the moment, laboring in academics, enjoying extracurricular activities and bonding with friends walking through the same experiences. Dressing up for pep rallies, rejoicing over an A in Mrs. Dale’s AP English class, and winning the TAPPS Art Competition with Ms. Parker are my fondest memories. It wasn’t my resume that motivated me to get involved and accomplish all these things but the enjoyment that I had doing them. Even in college, I occasionally found myself missing the late night musical rehearsals, cross country carb parties, and sweet, caring teachers. Don’t get me wrong, college was the time of my life but high school at Second was joyous. In the most loving and motivating of environments, Second provided me countless opportunities to branch out and begin to discover who I was as a student, a Christian and as an individual.

What is your favorite SBS tradition?

What has it been like to return to Second as a teacher?

Q&A with Nora Ashkar

Without a doubt, the pep rallies. I always loved dressing up for each outrageous theme and still do as a teacher.

The dressing up, the skits of students impersonating their teachers, the grade level competition ­– all these things contribute so much to school spirit, and I enjoy every bit of it. When I was a student, I especially loved the Homecoming pep rally, which included the cricket spit. Everyone should have the chance to put a cricket in their mouths and spit as far as they can in the name of school spirit!

Coming back to Second, I have the benefit of “having been there.” Having that knowledge aids me when it comes to deciding who really needs some relief or who just needs some strong encouragement. But making the students better is just one benefit of being back. I also see it as my personal duty to make my School an even better place for learning. Being a lifer, alumni, and now teacher, SBS will continue to be a large part of my life; therefore, having the opportunity to help the School is a job I take very seriously but also do with much joy.

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Tradition & INNOVATION

The Power of Innovation Innovation in Student-Driven Learning: The Harkness Method A strong tradition of academic excellence is alive in the SBS classroom, yet great educators are always seeking to enrich the classroom experience and train minds for an ever-changing world. In particular, there is a growing need nationwide for students to become more involved learners. Living in a media-saturated, hyper-connected culture, they are on information overload and have little time to process and reflect on what they are learning.

SBS teachers have long desired to provide a forum for returning to the lost art of conversation and critical thinking and preparing students to be skilled orators and effective leaders for life. A proven pedagogical technique that has been around for more than 75 years, the Harkness Method encourages students to listen carefully, think deeply, and speak clearly while bolstering skills in reading, writing and logical reasoning. To give our students this opportunity, SBS is implementing the Harkness Method in some humanities, English and Bible classrooms.

Dr. Williams, Head of School, has a vision for establishing greatness in students and recognizes the value of equipping them to become thoughtful leaders. “Today, educators have to train students to do more than memorize information and spit out facts. Knowing what to do with the knowledge they acquire is pivotal. For this

reason, the Harkness Method provides an ideal way to teach our students how to think and express knowledge.

This modality of teaching prepares a new type of student for a very different world that requires critical thinking and active engagement.�

History of the Harkness Method The Harkness Table refers to a method of teaching involving student discussion and learning around an oval table with their teacher. The method derives its name from philanthropist Edward Harkness who presented Phillips Exeter Academy with a monetary gift in 1930 to purchase round tables for practicing this method of teaching. The purpose of the round-table discussion is to engage students in the learning process and make them proactive learners. Used nationwide in many private schools and colleges, this method will challenge the minds of SBS students.

Advantages of the Harkness Method While the Harkness Method delivers a wealth of educational benefits to students, there are three major objectives that it fulfills. When measured, these outcomes are invaluable for a student’s academic experience and future. While SBS has always worked to help students reach these objectives, the Harkness Method provides a technique for fully accomplishing these goals.

The Harkness Method encourages students to listen carefully, think deeply, and speak clearly while bolstering skills in reading, writing and logical reasoning.

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IN THE SBS CLASSROOM

1) The Harkness Method elevates students from passive learners to fully engaged active learners. One of the most valuable contributions of the Harkness table is that it requires students to come prepared to class, putting them in the driver’s seat of learning. If they have not read closely or taken notes carefully the night before, that becomes obvious during the discussion the following day. The students also hold each other accountable for their preparation. Through positive peer pressure, students become responsible for their learning and work hard to contribute relevant, constructive ideas to the discussion.

In turn, this practice becomes a habit for students, which they can apply to other pursuits.

2) The Harkness Method enables students to fully realize their academic potential. This method provides a platform for students to sharpen a host of skills from listening more carefully to backing up their arguments with solid evidence. Students are then able to apply these skills to other subject matter and master material much more effectively.

Instead of regurgitating facts, they become creators of original ideas. Logical thinking and clear delivery are required for full involvement. Through the practice of crafting arguments and relying on the text for support, students become better writers. As students become more comfortable and assertive at the table, they also develop leadership and management skills that would otherwise go undeveloped.

3) The Harkness Method establishes lifelong learners. The ultimate goal of education is to set up students for a lifetime of academic achievement. As students become hungry for knowledge, the quest for learning never ends. The method sets students on a trajectory for advancement in all disciplines as they learn to make interdisciplinary connections.

Conversations around the table often continue in the hallways. With this intellectual curiosity, students are much more prepared to excel in college and in future career fields. In essence, these students have been handed the keys that unlock doors.

The Harkness Method in Action Several teachers have actually been using the Harkness Method in theory for years. The practice is particularly useful in AP courses where analytical thought and

argument development are paramount. AP U.S. Government/Economics teacher Mrs. Clare Towery often uses the method to discuss current events. During the 2010 election, she asked students to read several scholarly sources on the American political system. The day after the election, students were enthusiastic to discuss the outcomes behind the election results. In particular, the discussion led them to consider the impact the Internet has on elections.

AP English teacher Mrs. Ruth Dale has used a form of the method for years. She refers to the experience as “oral quizzes.” By placing some critical questions before her students, she inspires them to think more deeply about the passages and make connections from the text to contemporary life. When discussing Oedipus the King, she posed the following question: “What is Sophocles saying about individual freedom?” She went on to ask, “Is freedom totally free?” Through a series of thoughtful questions and responses, the students arrived at a satisfying understanding of the text.

Over the past couple years, several teachers from Middle and Upper School have traveled to Exeter to learn about this teaching technique. They stepped away with a unique vision on how to implement the Harkness Method in their classrooms. This summer, more teachers will have the opportunity to participate in a Harkness Method training course at SBS. Once teachers learn the basic principles, they are able to adapt the method to the objectives of their class.

Sixth Grade English The classroom of Mrs. Susan Williams has been transformed from a traditional classroom with desks all in a row to a scholarly classroom with an impressive Harkness table. When students enter the room, there is a palpable energy and excitement about learning.

Her classroom is a laboratory of sorts, a place where discoveries are made and breakthroughs are celebrated.

Prior to implementing the Harkness Method, Mrs. Williams had used a variation of the technique with her students and saw something very different happening in her classroom. She began to see true learning take place. With curiosity and interest, she received the formal training in the Harkness Method. “It was humbling, yet exciting to find a way of looking at learning through the eyes of children who needed to develop ownership of learning. The Harkness table more than fulfills that need,” she explains.

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Tradition & INNOVATION

The results of using the table have been impressive. “My sixth graders are thriving at the table. I walk away every single day in awe of the learning that happens there,” she says. They are no longer passive learners. Instead, they are “learning, discovering, and experiencing the fruits of their labors.”

More is required of students when they come to the table.

But, the work is productive and meaningful, instead of busy work. Likewise, teachers who conduct the Harkness Method must work harder. “It is by far the most work I have ever done as a teacher. I spend countless time thinking, planning, selecting readings, integrating grammar and literature on a sixth grade level. It is as if I have been called to do this because I have so much passion for it,” Mrs. Williams explains.

In the end, the Harkness Method is a gift to students.

“Every student who leaves the table at SBS will forever be changed. We are building SBS students into those who will be called upon in the future to sit across the boardroom table and present, defend and share ideas,” Mrs. Williams says.

Sixth Grade Bible When Ms. Dionne Poveromo attended training this past summer, she was amazed by the “powerful” experience she had as she accepted the invitation to sit at the table and become a student to learn how the method works. “I was no longer the teacher, master of my content. I became the student and now faced a new world of expectation, assignments, readings and fear.” In the end, she learned a wealth of knowledge by learning from a student’s point of view.

Serving as a guide, Ms. Poveromo invited her own students to sit at the table in August when they stepped

into the classroom. This opportunity provided a way for them to own their faith as they became active participators in discussions about God’s Word. “Many students have found their voice at the table and have been able to share thoughts freely and confidently using text references from the assigned readings and the Bible to validate their ideas,” explains Ms. Poveromo.

One powerful moment stands out to Ms. Poveromo.

During a discussion, a student brought up a point from the text in Acts. It was a verse that was not at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Grateful for this insight, Ms. Poveromo said, “Thank you for teaching us something today. God revealed that insight to you that we hadn’t realized before. Thank you for your voice.”

Freshman English In the fall, Mrs. Laura Towne visited Exeter with some questions in her mind about the Harkness Method. “I wondered how it makes students learn more and how the teacher makes it work,” she said. After visiting several classes where the method was demonstrated, she walked away with an appreciation for the technique. “I was pleasantly surprised and motivated to learn more about how I can engage students in discussion.”

Mrs. Towne also has seen the rewards of the Harkness Method from a parent’s perspective. Her youngest son has benefited from participating in Mrs. Williams’ classroom this year. “I have seen a big difference in him as a student since his involvement with the Harkness Method. Now, he is doing his homework because he wants to participate in the discussion. The culture of the room motivates students to stay involved. The other day, he was telling me that everyone in sixth grade reads the books in order to be able to discuss at the table.”

The Harkness Method is a gift to students.

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IN THE SBS CLASSROOM

After her visit, Mrs. Towne fully understands how the Harkness table makes such a difference in learning and looks forward to applying it next year. “This method generates everything we want from our students. The fact that students receive instruction and participate in discussion around a table only enhances what they are able to achieve as students,” according to Mrs. Towne.

Freshman History

In Their own words:

Students’ thoughts about

“My Table”

Mrs. Toni LaZurs-White is also enthusiastic about using the Harkness Method in her global studies classroom.

Once she saw the Harkness Method in action, she saw it as a “motivational force” for her students. When she explained the concept to them, they were ready to roll and excited to participate.

There are many good things about the table. It keeps me more focused because everyone is included. I like how we discuss things with our classmates and learn from their ideas. I feel smarter when I’m at the table.

Caroline Wiesen ’17

For the first discussion, she asked them to read about the Persians in their books and consider why they were successful. Then, she had them take it a step further and compare the Persians to other empires and emperors. A vibrant, intellectually-charged discussion about different leadership styles ensued. Mrs. White looks forward to having discussions like these more regularly around the table. “When students are in discussion, they have a different mentality about learning,” she explains.

At the table, you are able to freely share and discuss ideas with your friends. Nobody is excluded from the table unless their homework is not completed.

When discussing, we use text references to support our answers or disagree with someone’s response.

The table is not a place to debate but only to discuss.

Daniel Knight ’17

Sample Discussion Around the Harkness Table For one particular discussion, Mrs. Williams had asked her sixth-grade students to construct three sample stories in preparation for the sixth grade book project.

Essentially, students were to brainstorm ideas and then present them to class members for their feedback. Before launching into discussion, Mrs. Williams set the objective for the class by saying, “Our job is to help each person understand which story could go somewhere.”

The first student began by reading her three plots. With utmost respect, her classmates listened carefully, and then one by one they shared their thoughts and ideas.

One boy preferred a particular plot because it had more possibility of building suspense. Another girl appreciated another plot because she had a connection with the subject matter. The plots were as varied as the students who sat in the room. Creativity was alive. Thinking was active. Every student was engaged the entire class period.

Not once did Mrs. Williams have to correct a student.

By the time the last person had shared, the students had collectively helped each other pick their best plots. On a more abstract level, the students had built confidence and enthusiasm for writing in one another. After all, writing

I like the oval shape of the table. It allows me to see faces instead of the back of someone’s head. It also allows me to talk freely without the teacher saying, “No, that is incorrect.” I also like that we help each other by correcting or explaining things to them. One of the greatest things is that we don’t state obvious facts. Instead, we start discussions.

John Hildreth ’17 The opportunity to disagree politely with peers makes us better at explicating our point. It shows us what we know and what we have to learn. We are teaching each other.

Joey Daniels ’11 You can have more dynamic conversations at the table. Instead of hearing two sides, you actually have the chance to listen to eight different perspectives.

Ellen Geis ’11 Instead of just learning information, you have the chance to apply it.

Katie Lakenmacher ’11

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Tradition & INNOVATION

is not a solitary endeavor. To be a great writer, one must know his or her audience. The Harkness table provides the ideal forum to make this experience possible.

Rules for Mrs. Williams’ Classroom 1) It is your table...care for it.

2) Come prepared.

3) Everyone must participate.

4) Do not interrupt anyone.

5) Listen to your peers with a respectful heart.

6) Ask questions of each other.

7) Involve everyone in the conversation.

8) No “like” zone.

9) No debates.

10) Have fun!

Innovation in Teaching Practices: Appealing to all Learning Styles Lower School Teachers Prioritize Visual Learning The Lower School staff recently enjoyed a presentation

by Dr. Debra Currie from the University of Houston University Eye Institute. She spoke about visual/spatial developmental delays and how teachers can help their students achieve academic success. Research shows that all students can learn when teachers deliver clear, explicit instruction, use graphic organizers to help clarify presented material, and teach students to order and unclutter their work spaces. It was a great afternoon for the teachers as they engaged in this important professional development activity and discovered ways to help students learn better.

The Addition of the Enrichment Class to the Lower School Curriculum The Lower School enrichment class taught by Mrs. Lana Kates has provided a place for students to learn critical thinking and creativity through various modes of learning.

Beginning this year, this enrichment class has had several positive outcomes through captivating projects.

Fourth graders have engaged in critical thinking games and activities. They have changed their way of thinking from right and wrong answers to a more abstract thought process. “They have learned to be more productive thinkers, which will help them in the long-term. We have to be critical thinkers in our society. It is imperative that they start practicing those skills now,” says Mrs. Kates.

Third graders have tackled Robotics. Using both concrete and abstract thinking processes, students came together to create something with a specific function. “They are learning how to work together by teaching each other and 46 Eagle

helping each other learn. They are also using a different part of their brain as they work through complex thinking patterns. I have seen kids come out of their shells while doing this project,” explains Mrs. Kates.

Like the fourth grade class, the second graders also worked on problem solving skills with a different angle.

Each week, they were presented with a problem to solve and supplies. They worked in groups of four to try and solve the problem using the supplies they were given.

This activity made them think more outside the box.

“They eventually started thinking more creatively and critically. It was fun to see the light bulb come on for them,” says Mrs. Kates.

Creative Pathways to Learning Mrs. Bethany Hildebrand who teaches physics in the Upper School realizes that concepts in physics can sometimes be abstract. So, she brings the concepts down to a practical level through creative visuals and hands-on activities, which appeal to visual and kinesthetic learners In order to teach students the relationships displayed on graphs, she connects motion detectors to laptops. Then, students predict how they should move to produce the graph provided to them. They match the graph by moving towards or away from the motion detectors. “They see that standing still, changing direction or accelerating produces different graphs and slopes on graphs,” says Mrs. Hildebrand.

To demonstrate circular motion, Mrs. Hildebrand shows YouTube videos of amusement park rides that emphasize the same scientific principle in action. Then, she puts a Downy fabric softener ball in a bag and swings it in a circle to show how the ball releases during the spin cycle in the washing machine. These real-life scenarios bring the concept of circular motion into focus for students.

IN THE SBS CLASSROOM

One of the most memorable physics projects is the Egg Drop.

“It incorporates Newton’s three laws of physics discussed in class,” explains Mrs. Hildebrand. The objective is to design a container housing a raw egg that will not break when dropped from seven stories. “I don’t demonstrate this project in class; instead, they have to apply themselves, which makes the concepts more memorable.”

Innovation in Technology: Selecting the Right Tools for Success By its very nature, technology forces rapid innovation in the classroom. The key is finding the tools that will unlock the doors of learning. The SBS technology team works hard to stay current on the latest technological tools for educators. This year, several tools have enhanced learning on all grade levels. Mr. Barber, head of Upper School, is excited about the technological advances he has seen this year. He encourages students to use technology as production instead of consumption. “I want to see our students collecting, organizing, and creating with technology instead of consuming it.”

The eno classic has been a recently discovered teaching tool that several teachers have sampled this year. An interactive whiteboard, it combines the simplicity and ease of a traditional marker board with high-performance interactivity—without cords, cables or costly installation.

Teachers can go from markers to multimedia, from ink to the Internet on a virtually indestructible ceramic steel surface.

The Middle and Upper School math departments use the wireless slate from SMART technologies. This tool enables teachers to walk around the classroom while writing on the slate, which is projected to the front of the classroom.

The teacher also has the option of handing the slate to students for them to work out problems in front of the class without going to the front of the classroom. Mrs. Gladys Wood, AP Calculus teacher, has gravitated toward using technology in her classes. “Technology helps keep

students involved in the learning process. They know that I may hand them the electronic pad to show the class their answer. Also it frees me to walk around the room while lecturing and stand next to someone who is inattentive,” she explains.

Combining the simplicity of a white board with the power of a computer, the SMART board provides the perfect tool for learning. For the past three years, SBS teachers have been using SMART boards. “I use it to review By its very nature, the online component of Spanish II curriculum technology forces during class, which allows to come to the rapid innovation in students board and participate.

Students seem to think that the classroom. lessons are automatically more interesting if it is being completed on a SMART board. I love how the participation increases in class by using this technology,” Danica Marble, US Spanish teacher, says.

A major addition to the learning environment has been the opening of the Mac Lab in the Library. Teachers can reserve time in the lab and have access to 20 MacBooks and printers. This resource has helped students become more familiar with Macs before full integration begins next year. Students have benefited from making movies and videos through iLife for classroom projects.

A major initiative this year has been training teachers on Macs. Through seminars with the tech team, teachers have had the opportunity to learn and practice all the tools available at their fingertips. This summer, the tech team will offer seminars for teachers on how to integrate technology into the curriculum by subject matter. These sessions will only enhance the One-to-One Mac program that will begin in the fall of 2011.

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The Faculty Behind Traditions Teachers are responsible for many of the traditions at Second

Baptist School. Long ago, they had a vision for what the School could become and what students were possible of achieving. Three living legends have particularly impacted the School with their God-given gifts and passion.

A

Passion

for the Performing Arts In 1980, Mrs. Cindy Blades taught the first class of graduating seniors at Second Baptist School.

From the start, she inspired students with her abundant enthusiasm and contagious energy for the performing arts. Now, she has the privilege of teaching the children of former students.

It is no surprise that her favorite tradition at SBS is the performance of musicals. Now in the 25th year of musicals, Mrs. Blades has seen musicals come full circle. She was actually around for the first musical, which was held in Hankamer Chapel with an audience of 150. Today, the musicals are performed at the Hobby Center in front of 500 people.

Mrs. Blades is proud of the way musical productions have taken center stage over the years. “Through the performing arts, we allow our kids to be multi-talented.� Growth constantly infuses the performing arts program at SBS. This year, even more students will be involved in the production whether on stage, coordinating costumes or controlling lighting.

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Mrs. Blades, Travis ‘06, Jason ‘11, Christiana ‘08, Joe ‘03 and husband Bob

In addition to teaching and directing plays and musicals at SBS, Mrs. Blades has also walked in the shoes of a parent of four children at SBS, Joe ’03, Travis ’06, Christiana ’08, and Jason ’11. Each of them was a member of SBS state championship teams, including football, swimming and cross-country. Proud parents, Mr. and Mrs. Blades, are devoted SBS fans who cheer on the teams to victory.

The Blades family is grateful for the SBS traditions that have blessed them along the way.

“We started at another school and then put them all at Second. We wanted to place them in a school that would guide them along the right path. If they hadn’t attended SBS, they wouldn’t be the people they are today. It is an easier place to become the person God intended.”

During her first year of teaching, Mrs. Blades taught Mr. David Bolling speech and drama.

Now, she is directing David’s daughter, Caroline Bolling, in the spring musical. Describing his former teacher, Mr. Bolling says, “I still remember to this day Cindy’s encouragement as

a teacher. She once told me, ‘David, pick up your cues. There are Mack trucks running through your lines!’ Seriously, her willingness to spend countless hours with a cast, her dedication to the students and her commitment to excellence sets the SBS Fine Arts program light years beyond other schools.”

Mr. Bolling and his wife Dianna are thrilled to have Caroline under the direction of Mrs. Blades. “Her extra mile approach in working with each cast member is amazing. She casts the show according to the abilities and talents of the students. Most of all, she teaches them to be servants in theater.

Whether a lead or an understudy, all cast members encourage one another.”

What is most impressive about the way Mrs. Blades directs is that she keeps Christ first in the midst of a demanding rehearsal schedule.

“We get on our knees before every rehearsal.

We want to let God be glorified and not us,” she explains. “Every audience member who attends a performance will see there is something different in our kids. They can see Christ’s glory.”

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A

Passion

for Teaching

T

hroughout the years, Mrs. Linda Linder has created a sense of tradition in the Lower School through her enthusiasm for education, Godly wisdom, and loyalty to students. Joining the faculty in 1982, she began as a prekindergarten teacher. After eight years, she took over the first grade class and then moved to second grade the following year where she has remained ever since.

Of all the traditions Mrs. Linder has observed at SBS, the one she most cherishes is the second grade Parade of Presidents, which she organizes and coordinates. “What began as a classroom unit before I started teaching has become a wonderfully, memorable production for the last twenty years,” she explains. Seeing students, parents, and grandparents celebrate the men and women who have served our

Mrs. Linder with Corbin Dill, ‘03

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country as presidents, first ladies, or members of the armed forces always puts a smile on her face.

“Having a good old-fashioned red, white, and blue day is quite a novelty,” she says. “It seems to be reminiscent of days gone by like a Norman Rockwell afternoon.”

According to Mrs. Linder, this class program teaches an important tradition to students.

“I believe that patriotism needs to be taught.

Collecting information about the presidents and learning the challenges that many faced is part of that experience. Students are learning at an early age that the Christian values of America need to be protected. Everyone who attends leaves feeling ‘proud to be an American!’”

As a teacher, Mrs. Linder provides endless support and encouragement to her students.

There are many wonderful stories about the influence she has had on their lives. In particular, the Mayes family holds a special place in their hearts for Mrs. Linder. A former teacher, Kathleen Mayes, mother of Sarah ’09 and Elizabeth ’14, actually taught Mrs. Linder’s daughter, Stephanie, in sixth grade life science.

She was so impressed with Stephanie’s sweet spirit and academic performance. Years later, Mrs. Mayes was delighted when her own daughters had the opportunity to be in Mrs. Linder’s classroom.

who was dying from cancer. Over Christmas, her aunt passed away, and Sarah asked her mom if she could call Mrs. Linder to let her know. “Sarah knew how much Mrs. Linder cared and wanted her teacher’s continued prayers. This meant so much to me as a parent,” says Mrs. Mayes. Mrs. Linder’s attention to details also impressed the Mayes family. “She cares about the little things, and she cares about things that her students care about,” says Mrs. Mayes. To top it off, the girls always were amazed by Mrs. Linder’s perfect handwriting, which is legendary for its precision.

Any student who has sat in Mrs. Linder’s classroom knows that she cares about them beyond the second grade year. Her eyes light up when she runs into former students no matter what their age. “She loves them as students and as people,” explains Mrs. Mayes. Giving so much love and support to her second grade students builds their confidence and makes them feel special.

Both Sarah and Elizabeth have fond memories of their second grade experience. They loved the tradition of “Linder’s Legend.” If they made a certain grade, they received this special title.

Little things like this motivated them to achieve their best academically. They also appreciated the spiritual growth they received in her class.

Prayer requests were always taken very seriously.

Sarah had asked for prayer for her great aunt Mrs. Linder with Elizabeth Mayes, ‘14

Winter/Spring 2011 51

A

Passion

for Coaching

Coach Berg with her 2007 State Volleyball Champions

I

n addition to being an outstanding volleyball coach, Sue Berg was also a distinguished player. Receiving a full-ride scholarship in volleyball to the University of Texas, she played all four years and was co-captain her senior year when the women’s volleyball team won the national championship. To top it off, she was named All-American her senior year!

Coach Berg joined the coaching staff and faculty at Second Baptist School in 1992. Under Berg’s leadership as the varsity women’s volleyball coach, SBS won state in volleyball in 1998, 2002, 2003, and 2007. She brought the women’s volleyball team to new heights and helped many players fulfill their dreams of becoming college athletes. Throughout her time at SBS, she has also taught

52 Eagle

math and physical education courses. She has served as the athletic director and head of physical education. Currently, she is the women’s athletic coordinator and a physical education teacher.

For Coach Berg, coaching is her calling.

“I became a believer in college. God used volleyball to get my attention and then used other circumstances to bring me to Him. After becoming a believer, I ran from volleyball.

I wanted to live my ‘new life’ without the distraction of this sport. But God had other plans for my life. I finally realized the fact that coaching volleyball was where He wanted me to be. I am very thankful that He brought me down that path.”

Teaching life lessons to her players is a major objective for Coach Berg. “I want the sport to be more than wins and losses,” she explains. One of the most important life lessons she has taught over the years is the importance of communicating with someone in authority, whether that be a coach, teacher or boss. “I tell parents that I want their daughters to come talk to me if they have a problem on the team,” she explains.

So, she transferred to SBS her sophomore year and now sees that move as a testimony to God’s faithfulness. Coach Berg served as a mentor to her athletically and spiritually and helped her through tough times, including the loss of her sister. Bethany went on to play volleyball at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga.

“There are those coaches esteemed for their ability to refine a player’s skills and there are some coaches highly regarded for their passion to bring their players to know Christ intimately. But rarely do you see someone who is as passionate and successful at both as Coach Berg,” says Bethany Herndon ’04.

The Christian tradition alive at SBS is what she values most. “What sets us apart from other schools is that we are unashamedly Christian.

Our administration seeks God’s wisdom first in every situation,” she says. Through coaching and mentoring, Coach Berg has had a significant influence on many players. In particular, Bethany Herndon ’04 credits Coach Berg for setting her sails in the right direction.

The Lord brought Coach Berg into Bethany’s life at a pivotal time. Bethany was attending another school during her freshman year of high school.

Coach Berg happened to meet Bethany’s mom at a volleyball tournament and visited with her.

When Coach Berg learned that Bethany’s sister was battling cancer, she suggested that SBS would be a supportive environment for Bethany.

Coach Berg and Bethany Herndon, ‘04

Winter/Spring 2011 53

A

Sisterhood of Spirit SBS Cheer Reunion

One of the beloved traditions at Second Baptist School is cheerleading.

From cheer camp to after school practices to cheering during games, the cheerleaders unite in athleticism and spiritual growth. The strong bond among the girls lasts a lifetime. While their major objective is to support the SBS athletic teams, they also lend tremendous support to one another through prayer and service. A tradition of excellence, enthusiasm, and encouragement unites these girls together.

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Former cheerleaders, their parents and families, gathered together for the first-ever Cheerleader Reunion in January. The reunion was held in conjunction with the annual Flight Night festivities. Along with the cheerleaders, their moms were also in attendance at the reunion, as they have also been an integral part of the success of the program.

Present at the reunion were former SBS coaches who through the years have invested valuable time and energy into the cheerleading program. Even the very first cheer coach at SBS attended – making the evening even more meaningful. Coaches in attendance included Connie Harper, Eleanor Frank, Ranelle Woolrich and Emily Goolsby.

“I am so thankful for the opportunity to see my coach [Eleanor Frank]. I haven’t seen her since the day I graduated from SBS,” Holly Norris Brown ’90, said. “And I loved seeing old friends and reliving such fun memories! I hope there are more reunions to come.”

During the reunion, the cheerleaders took a trip down memory lane and saw the history of SBS cheer, from past to present, on display.

Representing the evolving shades of blue and gold and keeping up with the trends of cheer uniforms, the visual display documented the history of SBS cheerleading. Encompassing the room were some of the original cheerleading uniforms worn at SBS, team photos, memory albums, pom poms, megaphones, sweaters, and much more.

“I loved seeing how cheerleading at SBS has evolved from past to present – what a fun evening,” Sarah Mayes ’09, said.

When a group of cheerleaders gather together, they love nothing more than to cheer. At the end of the reunion, the current Varsity cheerleader captains taught the alumni cheerleaders two cheers that they performed during halftime at the Varsity Men’s Basketball game that evening.

Winter/Spring 2011 55

Coaches attending the reunion included: Connie Harper Eleanor Frank Emily Goolsby Ranelle Woolrich

Cheerleaders attending the reunion included:

Holly Norris Brown Tisha Harper Krause Jennifer Teague Buchanan Leah Terrell Shari Nelsen Durrett Callie Fine Sarah Mayes Emily Boyd Jenna Hendrick Julie Danvers Robin Kellam Ince Tom Hicks Jennifer McKenzie Welker Kim Wilhite Orr Carrie Skelton Holcomb Nora Ashkar Lauren Ashkar Baker

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Alumni Updates Are you receiving the monthly alumni email? If interested, send your contact information to sbsalumni@sbsfoundation.org.

Stay connected @ SBS!

...................................

1985 Class Agents Eve Phelps Giddens Eg996320@aol.com

...................................

1982 Class Agent Craig Moritz cmoritz@spe.org

...................................

1983 Class Agent Trisha Pessara

Beth Brock Looser bblooser@aol.com

...................................

1986 Class Agents Kimberly Arnold Parker kap1228@gmail.com

Michelle White

rm_white@yahoo.com

trisha.pessarra@motivaent.com ...................................

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1984 Class Agents Charles Beall

1987 Class Agent Dawn Williams Trozzo dwtrozzo@aol.com

charles@beall.org

Helen Buckner

helen@bucknerweb.com

Winter/Spring 2011 57

A l u m n i U p d at e s

...................................

1988 Class Agent Kimberly Thode kctwalker@aol.com

...................................

1989 Class Agents Leslie Niermeyer

Apostle Paul spoke in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25. To find out more about CrossTrain Sports, visit www.crosstrainsports.org. jillmckay@austin.rr.com

...................................

1990 Class Agents Donny Ford

dford@ford-math.com

Tisha Harper Krause tkrausepfs@aol.com

lniermeyer@yahoo.com

Sabrina Morgan Ogelsbee smogles@yahoo.com

Jill Lindsey McKay and

husband, Scott, recently launched CrossTrain Sports, Inc. - a nonprofit ministry seeking to make a difference in the lives of area youth through faith-based sports programs. Under the umbrella of CrossTrain Sports is CrossTrain Junior Tennis Academy, located in San Antonio. Ultimately, the McKays train student athletes to find their identity in Christ and not in their win/loss record - and they train them to compete for the imperishable reward of which the

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Julie Miller Basham is the Manager of a research lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and was the recipient of the Heart of MD Anderson Outstanding Employee Award in November 2010. She and her husband live in Katy with

their dogs and rescued rabbits and enjoy riding their horses together.

Julie stays busy painting portraits of horses and also enjoys trail running, mountain biking, and playing her harp. This spring, Julie will donate her hair for a third time to make a wig for a cancer patient. She says, “It is a privilege to give my hair away and be a small part of a patient’s healing process and maybe help them feel better about themselves.”

...................................

1991 Class Agents Leslie Stiver Rice lsr@maisonriz.net

Jill Moses Holstead

jmholstead@comcast.net

...................................

1992 Class Agent Kristin Johnson Paull kpaull@planetpaull.com

Lisa Rude

jill@harris-hmg.com

A l u m n i U p d at e s

Alumni Come Home for Flight Night and Alumni Basketball Game

T

he long-standing tradition of SBS Flight Night brought out many SBS families, students and alumni on Friday, January 7. It was an evening filled with wonderful activities and great basketball. The night began with a victorious Varsity Women’s Basketball game, followed by the Annual Alumni Basketball Game. Fans were in for a treat as alumni from the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s took the court and relived their glory days at SBS. Alumni in attendance at Flight Night also stopped at the alumni table to visit with former teachers and classmates and receive a free t-shirt. After the game, the Varsity Men took the court as they claimed a victory over Northland Christian. It was a great night for SBS! SBS Alumni in attendance at Flight Night included: Scott Sage (1990), Helen Buckner (1984), Candi Robinson (1994), Robin Kellam Ince (2000), Luke Chauvin (1988), Andyshea Saberioon (2006), Matthew Elders (2009), Eugene Kim (2007), Austin Glass (2006), Reagan Reynolds (2006), John Simmons (2006), David Velez (2008), Jason Kates (1997), Patrick Richard (1988), Doug Daniels (1989), John Reynolds (2005), Leah Terrell (2005), Nora Ashkar (2002), John Doughtie (2009), Shannon Dodds (2010), Jennifer Doughtie (2010), Carly Calhoun (2009), Kendall Stiefel (2010), Lauren Stiefel Hopf (2003), Jeremy Donalson (1997), Hayley Calhoun (2006), Amber Calhoun (2008), Caroline Dinges (2008), Elizabeth Anderson (2006), Casey Glass (2007), Dorsi Harrington (1984), Seth Elsenbrook (2008), Hannah Noble (2003), Carrie Holcomb (1992), Amy Danvers (2003), Julie Danvers (2001), Scott Danvers (2005), Sarah Mayes (2009), Jason Stading (2010), Bradon Powell (2010), Josh McKenzie (2010), Jennifer McKenzie (2001), Lauren Ashkar Baker (2002), Shari Durrett (1984), Hailie Durrett (2009), Jenna Hendrick (2010), Emily Boyd (2010), Callie Fine (2009), Tom Hicks (2000)

Winter/Spring 2011 59

A l u m n i U p d at e s

Where Are They Now?

A

nna Bradley Ferguson graduated from Second Baptist School in 2001 and followed her brother, Will Bradley, to the University of Mississippi, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. While at Ole Miss, Anna joined the Delta Delta Delta sorority. During her tenure as a Tri Delta, Anna relished working to raise funds for the sorority’s national philanthropy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She fell in love with the hospital’s mission to provide world-class care to children suffering from cancer and other catastrophic diseases, at no cost to the families.

The summer following her junior year of college, Anna studied abroad in Alicante, Spain with other Ole Miss students. As she traveled across Spain and Paris, she enjoyed getting to know her friend Ben Ferguson, who unfortunately knew no Spanish. In fall 2004, Anna returned to Mississippi for her senior year, and Ben moved to work as a surrogate for the Bush/ Cheney ‘04 campaign in Washington D.C. and established himself as the youngest syndicated radio talk show host in America. Ben spoke at the Republican National Convention that fall, and while they both stayed busy with their lives in different states, Ben and Anna continued to keep in touch.

Following Anna’s graduation in May 2005, she spent the summer on staff at Redcloud Ranch in the Colorado Mountains. That August, she returned to Houston and went to work as an Event Marketing Representative with ALSAC/ St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Anna planned fundraising events in Texas and Louisiana for St. Jude, and quickly found that her passion for the hospital stemmed from the relationships she established with the patient families. She hoped for an opportunity where she could focus on the patient involvement portion of the events.

In August 2007, Ben relocated to accept a daily talk radio position in his hometown of Memphis, TN, and continued his syndicated show there as well. He can frequently be seen on cable news networks as a political contributor. By this time, Ben and Anna’s relationship had developed past friendship, and they visited each other whenever they could.

From November 2005 to March 2008, Anna enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and loved living back in Texas. However, she learned of a Patient Liaison position opening at ALSAC/ St. Jude headquarters in Memphis, TN. Anna had always longed to work directly with the patients, and since Ben had recently moved back to Memphis himself, she accepted the position.

In Memphis, Anna coordinates patient appearances for St. Jude fundraising events. Her unique job allows her to help share the St. Jude message with potential and current supporters, while providing a way for patient families to give back to St. Jude.

Ben proposed to Anna in September 2009 on a weekend trip to Washington, D.C. He surprised her by asking his mentor, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, to give Anna an evening tour of the Capitol building. As the tour concluded in the Capitol’s historic rotunda, Ben asked Anna to be his wife. They celebrated that evening with SBS friends at Old Ebbitt Grill. Ben and Anna were married in Second Baptist Church on March 20, 2010, surrounded by friends and family. They traveled to Ixtapa, Mexico and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for a luxurious two week honeymoon. They have enjoyed their first year of marriage in Memphis, where they live with their dog, a Schnoodle, who is appropriately named Houston.

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A l u m n i U p d at e s

...................................

1993

and Faith (Pre-K) all attend Second Baptist School. Sean is a general contractor and owns his own

...................................

1996 Class Agent Allison Moody Ball

Class Agents Anne Munger Freeman

alliball02@hotmail.com

Meredith Jolley Arendale jarendale@comcast.net

Pamela Swank Virgadamo

and her husband Jason welcomed twin daughters, Amberly Lynn and Scarlett Elizabeth on November 26, 2010.

...................................

1994 Class Agents Lucian Bukowski

lucian.bukowski@staubach.com

Peyton Millinor peyton@mail.com

Keith Morris

keith@rkm3law.com

Thomas Stuckey

business, Preferred Home Services.

Heather is currently working as the Childcare Coordinator for SBC’s Woodway Campus. The photo was taken during Christmas break on a vacation to Durango, Colorado where their kids played in snow for the first time and built their very first snowman. ...................................

tomstuckey@suddenlink.net

...................................

Marilyn Van Zandt Kehr

1995

marilyn_kehr@yahoo.com

Chris Wood

cabwood@gmail.com

Sean Congdon and Heather Ritter-Brandt married on

Class Agent Marissa Mariner Womble mwomble@gmail.com

1997 Class Agents Reagan Fincher

reaganfincher@yahoo.com

Katy Kyle

katy.kyle@expresspros.com

December 31, 2009. They live in Houston and their children Cole (6th Grade), Xavier (5th Grade),

Winter/Spring 2011 61

A l u m n i U p d at e s

...................................

1998 Class Agents Kelly Clanton Holton kcholton@hotmail.com

Meghan Griffin

...................................

2001 Class Agents Rory Brewton Peter Warden

peterwarden@gmail.com

...................................

In July 2011 Kristin Frizzell will be joining an organization called Adventures in Missions on The World Race. It is an amazing 11 month mission trip that goes to 11 different countries! She will be traveling to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, 2 eastern European countries, South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam (in that order), and finally returning in May 2012. The team will be preaching the gospel, reaching out to communities, building schools and churches, rescuing people from modern day slavery and human trafficking, all while living out of a backpack and sleeping in tents. For more information about the race itself go to www.theworldrace.org.

Kristin will also have a blog www. kristinfrizzell.theworldrace.org that will include where she is, what she is doing and more importantly what God is doing in those places.

Class Agents Lori Smith Johnson Smithers83@aol.com

Amanda Skelton Yocum asyocum@yahoo.com

Beth Trahan

crushBT@yahoo.com

...................................

2000 Class Agents Christen Bringhurst Myers ceebs2815@aol.com

Erin Larkin Watkins

erin.l.watkins@gmail.com

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The University of Texas in 2005 and soon after began her photography business, Knox Photographics, in Austin. Her specialty is food, product and portrait photography.

Most recent successes include

rjbrew@gmail.com

marymeg2002@yahoo.com

1999

Courtney Knox graduated from

photographing the nationally distributed cookbook, Blackbird Bakery Gluten Free, published by Chronicle Books in San Francisco.

It is a beautiful book that has truly helped revolutionize the world of gluten free baking – helping those who suffer from gluten intolerance live a more enjoyable culinary life.

The book is available at Barnes and Noble, Borders, Anthropologie, Amazon and other participating book sellers. www.knoxphotographics.com

A l u m n i U p d at e s

Jennifer McKenzie and husband

Ellis Welker are pregnant with their first child, a baby boy due May 15th.

pursuing a move overseas to do cross-cultural work. Check out their wedding website: http:// www.theknot.com/ourwedding/ RochelleFerrada&TravisTucker

Heather Wobbe launched her

On December 14, 2010 Travis Tucker proposed to Rochelle Ferrada. The wedding day is set

for May 7, 2011 at the Heights City Hall & Fire Station. Bridesmaids include Matron of Honor Noelle Ferrada Kelly ‘97 and Mary Louise Berry ‘01. Travis, a Texas A&M graduate works for TrueWater.

Rochelle, an HBU graduate works at Houston’s First Baptist Church in the Missions Department. The couple plans to reside in Houston for the first two years but are

first fashion collection and was invited to show at the debut of RISQ Magazine. RISQ is an up and coming non-profit art and fashion magazine that connects these creative communities in Texas. Not only was Wobbe invited to show her work, but she has recently been invited to join their board of creative directors. After a few years of doing designer faux painting in homes with her own company, she went back to school where she is studying art metals and jewelry – her work is being featured in a growing number of gallery exhibitions. Always wanting to challenge herself, she works in many fields of the arts, striving to live a life full of a variety of creative pursuits. She is a jewelry fashion and costume designer, milliner, illustrator, and painter, doing custom work as well as selling through her Etsy store. Her work was recently featured on the front page of the Daily Sentinel and was also featured in the Pine Log in Nacogdoches where she lives. heather.a.wobbe@gmail.com

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2002 Class Agents Kristin Hendee khendee@aol.com

Jackie Wahl

jackie.wahl@colorado.edu

Nora Ashkar became engaged to Nicholas Ripple this past Christmas in Colorado. They are best friends and enjoy multiple hobbies together including travel, dance lessons and the outdoors.

They are planning a June wedding at Second Baptist Church and will live in Houston, Texas. nashkar@secondbaptistschool.org

Carolyn Schroer is engaged to

be married on April 9, 2011 to Mr. Blake Royal.

Winter/Spring 2011 63

A l u m n i U p d at e s

...................................

...................................

..................................

2003

2004

2005

Class Agents Bradley Jackson

Class Agents Casey Brewton

bradleyjax@gmail.com

cabrewton@gmail.com

Mary Margaret Porter

Rebecca Hickman

marymargporter@gmail.com

r.s.hickman@tcu.edu

Austin-based filmmaker Bradley Jackson, along with his co-

rdoty87@yahoo.com

Elizabeth Suffield

desuffield@gmail.com

Leigh Friedel Utakrit recently

graduated with a BSN and passed the NCLEX to become a registered nurse. She is currently looking for a job as a Labor and Delivery Nurse. Leigh is also a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant.

She and her husband live in Kingwood, Texas, and they are loving it!

producers, recently won the grand prize of $100,000 at the Doorpost Film Project awards ceremony for their short film The Man Who Never Cried. The film also won Best Editing, Best Music Score Runner Up, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor Runner Up, Best Director and the Audience Choice Award.

Bradley majored in RTF from The University of Texas at Austin.

Brother of Pearl started last January as a weekend hobby. A year later Josh Hallman and the band finished a full-length album with producer and alumni Josh Moore (’01). The album contains 12 original songs and comes out March 15, 2011. A Texas Tour is set with stops in Austin (March 25), Houston (March 26), San Antonio, Waco and Dallas. Visit www. brotherofpearl.com for album and tour dates. (Album is also available on iTunes.) j.hallman85@gmail.com

64 Eagle

Class Agents Robert Doty

Bryant Palmerton graduated May 2010 with a Masters in Accountancy from Millsaps College. He is currently employed with UHY Advisors in Houston.

A l u m n i U p d at e s

Classmates got together over Thanksgiving weekend for a celebration dinner and to catch up on careers. “Mad Plaid” class of 2005 included:

..................................

2006 Class Agents Jenny Long

jenny_long@baylor.edu

Brooks Shanklin

brooks_shanklin@baylor.edu

Seliece Dodds

seliece.dodds@gmail.com

Kirby Fine works in investment banking at Bank of America, New York City; Evan Elsenbrook works at Champion Energy, Houston; Elizabeth Suffield works for the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Pace University, New York City; Ced Burgher works for Champion Energy, Houston; Lara Zacca is attending Rosalind Franklin University of Medical Sciences, Chicago; Lauren Allen works in marketing for Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston; Annabel Stephan works in Content Development for ESPN, New York City and Los Angeles; Megan Dixon works in marketing for a children’s clothing line and designs her own stationary, Birmingham; David Towery attends Texas A&M University, College Station; Scott Danvers works in oil and gas for Ultra Petroleum, Houston; Maegan Toups and Rachel Twining work in oil and gas recruiting for Swift Oil and Gas, Houston.

..................................

2007 Class Agents Mallory Dixon

Katie Palmerton will be graduating from The University of Texas at Austin this May in Mechanical Engineering with highest honors. She has accepted a position with Shell Oil in New Orleans beginning Summer 2011. ..................................

2008 Class Agents Christina Hayes

christina7006@aol.com

Sarah Holland

Seh2990@comcast.net

Jacob Plagens

jnplagens@gmail.com

Ross Seaton

seatonross@gmail.com

malloryd313@yahoo.com

Paul Thompson

paul.thompson8811@gmail.com

Casey Glass appeared on

Let’s Make A Deal as one of the contestants.

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2009 Class Agents Hailie Durrett

hailied90@gmail.com

Sarah Mayes

sarahkmayes@aol.com

Tyler Lohse

tylohse@gmail.com

Matthew Kerns

matthew.kerns@bba09. mccombs.utexas.edu

Winter/Spring 2011 65

A l u m n i U p d at e s

Alumni Dinner in College Station

T

owards the end of the fall semester, the SBS Office of Alumni Relations hosted the first alumni dinner in College Station at Rudy’s Bar-B-Q restaurant. Most everyone who attended was a current Aggie student, some of them having recently received their Aggie rings! Throughout the evening, the former Eagles reminisced about their days in high school and caught up on where they are now. Overall, they were thankful for the opportunity to gather together and share a great meal.

The conversation spanned from Aggie football to Greek life on campus and everything in between. A table of alumnae, all from the class of 2008 or 2009, made up of Ashley Clark, Daniele White, Elizabeth Sekaly, Crysten Mosher, Caroline Suffield and Hailie Durrett enjoyed the unrushed time together while Kelly McInturff (2007) was a trooper to stop by and say “hello” before running back to campus to take a test!

It was a big hit when Mrs. Becky Larkin showed up to see the graduates as many of them had her as their college guidance counselor. The alumni expressed a deep gratitude to Mrs. Larkin for all that she had done to help them through the process of applying to Texas A&M. Lastly, it was a special treat when alumnus Geoff Myers (1995) walked in the door with his beautiful wife and two daughters. Geoff is currently living with his family in College Station and working in the real estate business.

Geoff and Drew Piatowski (2006) connected as they talked about business, which is Drew’s major.

Thanks to all the alumni that came out! It was a great time in Aggieland!

SBS Alumni in attendance included: Geoff Myers (1995), Lauren (Ashkar) Baker (2002), Drew Piatowski (2006), Kelly McInturff (2007), Ryan Wood (2007), Elizabeth Sekaly (2008), Caroline Suffield (2008), Daniele White (2008), Doug Chipponeri (2009), Tommy Orth (2009), Jesse Worsham (2009), Ashley Clark (2009), Crysten Mosher (2009), and Hailie Durrett (2009).

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2011

Mark your calendars!

Hailie Durrett was recently

hired as the newest writer for the Texas A&M University Greek life newspaper, The Odyssey. She is excited to write her weekly column covering a variety of topics. Her first article titled “Men’s Wardrobe Essentials” can be found at: http://theodysseyonline. com/location/article. asp?article=1625&location=25

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2010 Class Agents Shannon Dodds

shannondodds@comcast.net

Josh McKenzie

mckenzie.jsm@gmail.com

Rebecca Twining is a member of The University of Notre Dame’s Women’s Soccer National Championship Team!

Thursday, March 31, 2011 SBS Alumni Lunch in Houston 11:30 a.m.

Taste of Texas RSVP Today: sbsalumni@secondbaptistschool.org

Friday, April 8, 2011 SBS ALUMNI LUNCH IN DALLAS 11:30 a.m.

Blue Mesa Grill (Lincoln Park) RSVP Today: sbsalumni@secondbaptistschool.org

Thursday, April 21, 2011 25TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT – Celebrating 25 years of musical traditions at SBS, all alumni are invited to a reunion on Thursday, April 21.

Come reunite with fellow cast members, honor past directors and support the fine arts at SBS. Tickets are on sale for $25 each and can be purchased at secondbaptistschool.org/silveranniversary.

Winter/Spring 2011 67

Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds.

The most powerful ones are those we can’t even describe. Ellen Goodman

The Last Word

by Rebecca Larkin

curiosity, and excellence has remained at the heart of the Second Baptist experience.

I

hold great expectations for each SBS student whether the student has been here for only one year or all fourteen. I expect commitment to their passions, integrity in their relationships, and a deep love for others. But that merely scratches the surface of what I pray is the legacy of Second Baptist School as it touches every family in our community.

Binding us as a community, traditions have many levels of meaning. They may be minor as in riding the elevators as a senior privilege, mark significant transitions such as Senior Retreat, or preserve values as in chapel and graduation. Traditions make memories and enrich our experience, while they also bind one generation to another, each class taking the old and making it their own.

Since first coming to SBS in 1981, I have seen many traditions come and go as the school has grown and evolved. Jamestown models, mantle diving, spirit chains, and Jog-athon are remembered by only a few now. They have been replaced with Presidents Day, EagleFest and class colors. But a tradition of passion,

68 Eagle

When I taught English, my juniors begged me to take them to watch Hoedown every year. My reward was their joy in sharing memories of their partners, other students who were in their square, and the dances they had learned . . . .

But more importantly, even at sixteen and seventeen years old, they loved watching their tradition being handed on to the generation following them.

And though I am sure they could not have voiced it, I believe they found great satisfaction in seeing tangible evidence of a greater legacy in which they continue to have a part.

The pioneers of SBS were the creators of strong, meaningful traditions. In 1981, for our morning devotional, Barbara Bamberg, SBS music teacher and church pianist, played favorite hymns in the sanctuary with the lights down low. Doris Herrin taught history and explained to her students that it was really all “His Story.”

Master teachers at every level of SBS loved children and demanded excellence both from themselves and their students. An exacting teacher, Dennis Philips taught commitment and perseverance through biology, and as Key Club sponsor, he inspired a generation of young men to service in their school and community.

Elsa Jean Looser shared her love of literature through both academics and experience: her students memorized the first eighteen lines of Canterbury Tales in Middle English and then traveled with her to see Canterbury

Cathedral during Interim Term.

Later as the first Director of College Guidance, Mrs. Looser continued the SBS tradition of challenging students to explore new worlds. The generation of teachers who came before me, those who were both my mentors and peers, touched me with their intense love and commitment – they drove deep within me as a young woman those guideposts I would hold in my own professional career: traditions of educational rigor and balance, fun and profound spirituality.

As a mother, I had the opportunity to experience these same SBS traditions on an even deeper level as my daughter entered SBS. I appreciated that Ann Smith prayed over each elementary student as she determined class placements for the coming year, and every year my daughter had teachers who loved and inspired her. I helped my daughter memorize Luke 2, and later, when she reached junior physics, her father helped her build the mousetrap car, which he has kept for the last 11 years. I planned my first Senior Retreat as College Guidance Director for my daughter’s class and stayed up most of the night writing her senior letter before the students arrived at Round Top that next morning.

The blessings have been all mine as I now watch my students bring their children to school, visit with them at alumni gatherings, and even work with them as peers. My expectations for SBS students and alumni of commitment, integrity, and love are merely reflective of the commitment, integrity, and love I have seen and continue to see in the faculty and families of our greater SBS community.

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

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Second Baptist School 6410 Woodway Drive Houston, Texas 77057-1671 713-365-2310 Address Service Requested

Parents of Alumni If this magazine is addressed to a graduate who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the SBS Alumni Office by fax (713) 365-2355, phone (713) 365-2310 or email sbsalumni@secondbaptistschool.org.

Please forward this edition of the Eagle on to your SBS graduate. Thank you!

2011-2012

SBS Important Dates First Day of School (Noon Dismissal) August 17, 2011

Noon Dismissal for Christmas Holidays December 16, 2011

Labor Day Holiday September 5, 2011

Spring Semester Begins January 4, 2012

Homecoming / Reunion Weekend September 30, 2011

Spring Break March 12-16, 2012

Fall Holiday October 10, 2011 Thanksgiving Holidays November 23-25, 2011

Easter Holiday April 6, 2012 Easter Holiday / MAKE-UP DAY April 9, 2012 Last Day of School / Graduation May 25, 2012