i n t h i s i s s u e : P L A Y S C A P E • C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S • C R E A T I N G I N N O VA T O R S
The Weekly
VO L U M E X V I I I , N U M B E R 12 A weekly publication of The Post Oak School
POST
D E C E M B E R 14 , 2 012 Available online at www.postoakschool.org
T H E GI F T OF T I M E by Sarah Moudr y, Infant Communit y Teacher
I
love this time of year. I always have. I love that it gets dark earlier and cools down at night. I feel comforted by a warm beverage and wearing a scarf (and a good pair of boots). Daily I warm the mulling spices on the stove which brings back a flood of thoughts about being young and surrounded by family. This season is often filled with so many sensorial encounters. For a young child these experiences are multi-dimensional. First, like a snap shot, he has the potential to take in each moment in its entirety; a complete capture of the exact scene. Any given moment is subject to the cataloging of taste, scent, sound, touch, and sight. These images are then stored and become part of his understanding of the world.
A Primary student examines the various bead chains at their hanging place.
Additionally, the young child is often only able to respond to one stimulus at a time. So if he smells the pine trees, hears the music, and tastes the sugar cookies simultaneously, he can become over stimulated. It is important to acknowledge this. It may mean not rushing away from the carolers in order to see the next attraction or stepping back and continued on page 2
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The Gift of Time by Sarah Moudry, continued from page 1
letting him stare at the lights without trying to explain. Young children can be mesmerized by the many experiences this time of year. It can be a beautiful time with all the decorations, peaceful music, and well wishes. If you think back to your own childhood experiences you may recall certain sounds or scents that remind you of the winter holidays. Often you cannot consciously recall these memories, but it is a part of who you are. The experiences you have as a young child become a part of your personality. Who you are today was somehow influenced by the experiences you had as a toddler. Before you had opinions about what was right or wrong, you experienced just what was. It is difficult as an adult to imagine having an experience that we don’t put through our many filters—the filter of family culture, the filter of occupational culture, the filter of city culture—it goes on and on. This brings me back to the young child who has only been in the world for a year or two, which means he doesn’t have filters yet. He experiences just what is. There it is before him, around him, involving him, in all its glory; a moment of pure excitement, pure terror, or even pure happiness. I can see the excitement in my son’s eyes as he looks at a palm tree lit from the base to the tips of the leaves and feel the worry as my daughter squeezes my hand as a person in a gingerbread man costume approaches. This influences who they are, who they are becoming. It starts to build a filter.
D E C E M B ER 14, 2012
How will they see the world when they are conscious? What filters will they create? As a parent, these are exciting and scary moments. How do I help my child create healthy filters, inclusive filters, nonjudgmental filters? I CAN ALLOW TIME FOR LIFE TO MAKE SENSE I can give the gift of time together, collaboratively working on something, or side-by-side having parallel experience. I can give the time to show my child I value who he is as an individual and that he is good company. We can read books next to each other or bake cookies together. We can clean the fridge together, or rake sideby-side. Our contributions to family life together help us both feel an inner sense of accomplishment. He is proud to be contributing to the family, and I love to see my child wanting to contribute. I can give the gift of time alone. I can respect the moments he needs to concentrate and not be interrupted by my words of encouragement. Although it may seem that he wants me to say “good job” he really just wants to focus and challenge himself. Allowing for this time shows my respect for his deep concentration and my understanding that his work is more important than my words. I let him discover his world at his own pace; each child has his own. I can honor that pace, allow the world to unfold before him. His own discoveries will teach him the most. He will learn about himself, he will learn trust in himself, in others, and in the world. He will have an innate trust in the world. (I love this idea.) By allowing my child to have time and discover himself,
he will trust in himself and in the greater community. I can give the gift of time with his siblings. They do not need me to moderate their connections. They need me to support them equally and respect the work they do to develop a strong bond. When they are together, they learn so much from each other and about each other. Each has a unique personality and role to play within his and her relationships. This emerges as they are free to explore without my interruption. I can give the gift of the present moment. I can be here, with him, not on my email, or Facebook, or enjoying a text from a friend. I can put down my phone and be here. I am constantly reminded by his behavior that the gift of time matters more than anything else. When I am present, he is present, when I show empathy and engagement he does, too. As we get into this holiday season and there are so many gifts to give and receive, I ask that you consider giving the gift of time. Your child is building himself, and the smell of warm cider as you share a cup, the sound of an airplane flying overhead as you make plans to travel, and the taste of peppermint in the cookies you make together can all become part of his understanding of the world. As a parent, it is such a gift to be a witness to the making of the next generation and their potential. Every moment could possibly become part of his personality, and these are the moments you can influence. I wish you all fond memories and special times for the holiday season and the New Year. •
D ECE M BER 14, 2012
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SO CLOSE TO 100%
91%
2012 POST OAK FUND DRIVE TOGETHER WE CAN! CONTRIBUTIONS AS OF 12/7/2012 Thank you to all contributors. Watch for next week’s Weekly Post to see a full list of all contributors. We continue to work on the campaign behind the scenes. We are close to reaching 100% participation for all classes. Please support this important part of the school’s finances which benefits all students at all levels.
PARENTS 226/247 GRANDPARENTS 11
TRUSTEES 100%
EMPLOYEES 100%
Infant Community Playscape Have you had a chance to see the newest structure in the Infant Community playground? The Playscape was designed by Infant Community teachers Deidre Lodrig, Sarah Moudry, and Upper Elementary director Jeff Schneider and built by Bill Hunter to satisfy the requirements of his Eagle Scout project. Bill, who is currently a senior at Episcopal High School, raised $1100 dollars and spent it all on materials which includes cedar and recycled plastic lumber. Our sincere thanks go to Bill and all who gave hands-on assistance, including Bill’s dad, as well as Jeff Schneider and his son, Post Oak alum Nikhil Schneider (‘08). •
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D E C E M B ER 14, 2012
Photo submitted by Thomas Lu
Post Oak Students Score Big Win Upper Elementary students and s team, Houston Express 02B Green, placed first in the U11 Boys’ Bronze Cup at the Space City Futbol Club 8v8 Winter Break Cup 2012. Congratulations to the pair! •
REG .D UE : 12
Sign up now for Spring ASEP classes!
/21
A fter School En rich ment Program (A SEP) Spring 2013
Download the packet from the link on the left side of our homepage. Registration forms are due by December 21.
Parent Honored Congratulations to Post Oak parent and board member Mario Kapusta on being named as a Memorial Hermann Hospital Distinguished Physician. Honorees are physicians who have spent the majority of their professional careers at Memorial Hermann Hospital/ Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and made significant contributions to the hospitals during that time. •
Bearkats Basketball Come support the team! WED., 1/16 vs. St. Stephens TUES., 1/22 at. St. Catherine’s, 5 p.m.
WED., 1/23 vs. St. Stephens Home games start at 4:15 p.m.
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Creating Innovators From an interview with Tony Wagner, author of Creating Innovators: Raising Young People Who Will Change the World. Wagner: I talked to a very wide range of young innovators in their 20s—some innovators in the so-called STEM field (science, technology, engineering and math), some who were artists and musicians and some who were social entrepreneurs. It was a demographically [diverse] and representative sample of young innovators out there. Then, as you point out, I talked to all of their parents, and then I asked each one of them—could they name a teacher or a mentor who had made the greatest difference in their lives in their development of their capacities to innovate? About a third of them could not name any teachers. They all could name at least some adult in their lives—two-thirds could name a teacher, the other third named mentors.
I came to see that the culture of schooling in America is radically at odds with a learning culture that produces young innovators in five essential respects. Number one: The culture of schooling is all about individual achievement, ranking kids, whereas, the culture of innovation demands collaboration. Every one of these teachers and classes I observed really build teamwork into all of their assignments. Number two: A culture of schooling is all about specialization. While that certainly has a role in innovation, what’s very clear in the world of innovation is a problem-based, multidisciplinary approach to learning. Number three: The culture of schooling is risk averse and penalizes failure. The culture of innovation is all about taking risks and learning from mistakes, trial and error.
Number four: The culture of schooling is a very passive experience, where people essentially sit all day consuming information and then regurgitating it. The culture of learning for young innovators is all about creating—not consuming—real . . . I discovered that these young innovators were far more I interviewed each one of those products for real audiences. intrinsically motivated, and when I looked at the pattern teachers and mentors, trying to see if I could find the patterns And lastly, number five: The of what parents and teachers had both done to encourage of parenting and teaching that culture of schooling really intrinsic motivation, I found a kind of remarkable contribute the most to the relies on extrinsic incentives emphasis in the classrooms and among the parents of play, development of a young innovator. to motivate learning—carrots passion, and purpose. and sticks, As and Fs. But I What I discovered is that in every discovered that these young single case, the teachers who had the most critical difference innovators were far more intrinsically motivated, and when I in the lives of these young innovators was an outlier in his or looked at the pattern of what parents and teachers had both her education setting. Elementary school through graduate done to encourage intrinsic motivation, I found a kind of school, every single one of them was an outlier. What made remarkable emphasis in the classrooms and among the parents them outliers were the ways in which they taught, and the ways of play, passion, and purpose. • in which they taught were very consistent with what I saw to be some of the practices in the leading educational institutions that Posted this week on Head of School John Long’s blog, produce innovators. I’m talking about Stanford’s d.school, the Education by Design. Follow along at educationbydesign. MIT Media Lab and above all, the Franklin W. Olin College of blogspot.com/. Engineering, which I also profile in the book.
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D E C E M B ER 14, 2012
UNDERWRITING for Cool Cats
For details on underwriting benefits, go to our website: www.postoakschool. org/postoak/gala_2013. asp
DISCO INFERNO $10,000 HOT STUFF $5,000 CELEBRATION $3,000 FUNKY TOWN $1,000 GOOD TIMES $500
Opportunities begin at $500 per couple. $1000+ underwriting levels are invited to an underwriting COCKTAIL RECEPTION January 16. Download materials on the Gala page via a link on our homepage!
Look for your
GALA INVITATION
at the beginning of the new year!
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013 Don’t forget to
BOOK YOUR ROOM! Our block of rooms is reserved at $169/ room. Say you’re with The Post Oak School! Availability is limited so
Still looking for
“HOT STUFF” FOR THE SILENT AUCTION
TICKETS,TRAVEL, DINING, GIFT CARDS, & MORE Contact the Development Office if you have access to great giveaways such as theater or sports tickets, gift certificates for dining and travel, or a stash of unused gift cards which could be donated to the silent auction. Other ideas? Let us know!
CALL THE HOUSTONIAN today. 713-680-2626
LAST CHANCE TO
Let us “ad” you to the Gala program Advertising contract information AVAILABLE ONLINE via the 2013 Post Oak Gala weblink on our homepage.
DEADLINE IS DEC. 14 Pam Griffin-Minnich Belisa Diaz Dawn Thomas
D ECE M BER 14, 2012
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Middle School Bake Sale Joseph Rodd
Photo by Catherine Rodd Selman.
ATTENDED THROUGH 5 TH GRADE
After hearing countless accounts of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, three eighth grade students decided to help out by organizing a bake sale and sending the proceeds to the American Red Cross for use in providing support to those affected by the hurricane. The students would like to thank those who participated by baking treats to sell and those who participated by purchasing the treats. The total amount donated to the American Red Cross will be $1,551.24. This includes $100 raised at Field Day, $732.24 raised by the bake sale, and a $719 donation from Dr. Bhushan Kukkalli. The students who coordinated the event were Again, thank you to everyone for making this a success. •
Post Oak alumnus Joseph Rodd (pictured above with his step-father Doug Selman) recently celebrated his 25th birthday and was surprised with a keepsake from his parents. Joseph’s mother enlisted family members, teachers, scout leaders, and family friends who have known Joseph at some point in the past and played an important role in his life to send them birthday cards and/or personal handwritten letters. These letters filled a walnut keepsake box which was given to him on his birthday eve. Joseph’s mother followed up with all of the well-wishers, which included John Long, to let them know he was “genuinely surprised and touched” by the letters. Joseph graduated with high honors in English from Rice University in 2010, and in August began teaching 12th grade English (regular and AP) at YES Prep Southwest, a Houston charter school serving disadvantaged students. For the past several months, Joseph has been working over 80 hours a week preparing to become a teacher and then beginning life as a teacher of teens, many of whom are immigrants with significant academic deficits and sometimes heartbreaking personal circumstances. Post Oak wishes Joseph all the best in his teaching career!
by Shekkola Gray, Middle School Director
Devina & Jahnavi Schneider EIGHTH GRADE CLASS OF ’11
Post Oak alums Jahnavi and Devina Schneider (class of 2011), sophomores at Episcopal High School, recently competed in the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) Cross Country Championship. Both placed in the top ten: Jahnavi placed 4th and Devina placed 9th. Here they are posing with proud grandfather Charlie Schneider. Way to go, Devina and Jahnavi!
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Middle School Math Comics
D E C E M B ER 14, 2012
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ShrinkRap
LE T TERS TO POST OAK COUNSELOR
PHYLIS TOMLINSON COM I NG 2013
Attention all parents, send in your parenting questions now for a regular column which will begin appearing in 2013 here in The Weekly Post. Post Oak Counselor Phylis Tomlinson will offer guidance and advice on issues such as discipline, consequences, money and children, peer relationships, and more. Please include the gender and age of your child for an appropriate response— letters will be included anonymously in conjunction with Phylis’ response. Send questions to: phylistomlinson@postoakschool.org.
Found! lunch boxes, jackets, sweaters, and more . . . Missing something? Have a look online: www.postoakschool.org/ postoak/Photos_Lost_and_ Found_Gallery.asp If you recognize an item you can come reclaim it from the treasure chest in the front lobby. Please retrieve all items by Friday, December 21. Everything left over will be donated to charity over the winter break. *If clothing or lunch boxes have a name written on it, the item is placed in your child’s cubicle/locker. It’s a good idea to mark special items so they always find their way home!
F
KE TmSe! C I T l ga RE E
ll e to c o
ge b o
w
BBVA Compass
has generously donated 10 tickets to see
Texas Tech vs. Minnesota in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
The game will be at Reliant Stadium on Dec. 28 at 8:00 p.m. Visit the front office to claim tickets. First come, first served! For more info on the bowl visit: meinekecarcarebowloftexas.com/
S AV E T H E D AT E!
Alumni Night Best Night of the Year! Thurs., Jan. 10, 2013 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. We are excited to welcome back the high school students, college students, and young professionals who attended The Post Oak School as they reflect on their experiences in Montessori. How did their education at Post Oak help prepare them for their subsequent education and for life? Parents of our current students as well as prospective parents are encouraged to attend this event.
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D E C E M B ER 14, 2012
SCENES from The Post Oak School
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1. Singing a song of thanks before snack in Infant Community. 2. A Primary student chooses a colorful wooden puzzle which helps with hand control and concentration. 3. Linear counting with the Tens Board prepares one to count to 100. 4. Writing is delightful with the Moveable Alphabet.
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5. A Lower Elementary class runs through a series of exercises in PF. 6. Decorating boxes for the Braes Interfaith Ministry food drive. Look for information and photos next week. 7. At work on a Gala classroom art project. 8. Bearkats played their first home court basketball games this week. 9. Upper Elementary students fill the tile room to rehearse for their performance this week.
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D E C E M B ER 14, 2012
C A L E N DA R
N OT I C E B OA R D
D E C E M B E R 1 6 –2 2
Thur 12/20
Fall ASEP ends Regular dismissal for all students
Fri 12/21
Full day IC PRI & PHE EL, MS, HS
3:00 p.m. 3:15 p.m. 3:30 p.m.
ASEP spring registration due (see page 4) Winter solstice
WE NEED YOU!
50th Anniversary Committee Looking for Parent Volunteers Contact Kathryn Murphy at kathrynmurphy@postoakschool.org.
(2013–14 is our celebration year)
DE C E M B E R 2 3 –J A N UA RY 5
Winter break School closed J A N U A R Y 6 –1 2
Mon 1/7
Teacher in-service School closed
Tue 1/8
High School J-Term begins
Wed 1/9
POPA Coffee/Work Day
Thur 1/10
Alumni Night
Fri 1/11
Upper EL Spelling Bee
8:45 a.m.–noon
6:30–8:30 p.m.
10–11:30 a.m.
Check out our calendar online or download a copy at www.postoakschool.org
Shopping for the Holidays? There’s an easy way to help raise money for our school—when you go shopping! Whether buying groceries at Randalls, back-to-school items at Target, or catching a great deal on MamaSource, your purchases can benefit Post Oak! Grandparents, alumni, and friends are all welcome to participate in the programs. Look for the Shopping Rebate form at www.postoakschool.org/ postoak/Download_ Forms.asp.
A B O U T T H E W E E K LY P O S T The Weekly Post appears on most Fridays of the regular school year. You can receive a printed copy from your oldest child, or a PDF version online. Submit letters, articles, or photos in electronic form by 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before publication to Communications Coordinator Elaine Schweizer (elaineschweizer@postoakschool.org). If publication is on a Thursday due to school closure on Friday, then the deadline is 5:00 p.m. on the preceding Monday. All photos in The Weekly Post are by Elaine Schweizer unless otherwise noted. The Post Oak School was founded in 1963 and accredited by both the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) 4600 Bissonnet, Bellaire, Texas 77401 • Telephone: 713-661-6688 • Fax: 713-661-4959 • www.postoakschool.org