The Weekly Post, 5.17.2013

i n t h i s i s s u e : W I L L I A M S B U R G • A L U M N I AC C E P TA N C E S • M M U N

The Weekly

VO LU M E X V I I I , N U M B E R 2 4 A weekly publication of The Post Oak School

POST

M AY 17, 2 013 Available online at www.postoakschool.org

FA S T F R I E N D S

I

by James Moudr y, High School Director

got in some trouble with the TSA last weekend at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Let’s call it a brush with the law rather than a scrape. I stole someone else’s bag and almost got away with it. I wasn’t even flying that day.

I was picking up at the International Arrivals area. is a 15-yearold student at Villa Montessori in Morelia, Mexico. On Mother’s Day, he took the two-hour flight to Houston (alone) to spend the next three

Photo submitted by Mario Kapusta

continued on page 2

Above: sixth grade students on their trip to Williamsburg. More photos and stories inside.

PAGE 2

Fast Friends continued from page 1

weeks as a guest student at Post Oak High School. Our first international exchange student!

The High School is wrapping up a tremendous year of firsts and we’re pleased to add an international guest to that list. loves sports, is a big soccer fan, and follows the LA Lakers basketball closely. He’s a great addition to our student body and has made fast friends this week. is making an opportunity for himself by leaving his family and visiting another country. Two of his classmates did so earlier this spring with a month-long visit to a school in Santa Cruz, California.

Many interesting questions arise: How will change as a result of this experience? How will his own middle school be different as a result of these students’ travels? How will Post Oak grow through this experience? How will his host family change as a result of their month-long hosting experience?

M AY 17, 2013

Alone”, Jay Griffiths counted some of her observations of children around the world.

Self-reliant, caring, self-controlled, courageous, patient. Those sound like reasonable outcomes.

“In the Amazon, I’ve seen fiveyear-olds wielding machetes with deftness and precision. In Igloolik, in the Arctic, I’ve seen an eightyear-old take a knife and carve up a frozen caribou without accident. In West Papua, I’ve known youngsters of 12 or 13 with such physical capability and confidence that, when asked to be messengers, they completed a mountain run in six hours—a journey that had taken me and the guides a day and a half.

It doesn’t mean that we’re going to be issuing machetes in the fall instead of iPads. It does give us food for thought as we continue to help children become adults who are self-reliant, caring, selfcontrolled....

“This is not only a matter of physical competence: the freedom that Inuit children traditionally experienced made them into ‘selfreliant, caring and self-controlled individuals’, in the words of one Inuit person I met in Nunavut in Canada. It gave them courage and patience.”

A few minutes later the bag was reunited with its Guatemalan owner and I had a chance to use my best “lo siento” a couple times. and I were on our way; the opportunities for growth awaited. •

That stolen bag? and I each took one of his rolling bags from the airport. At the car, I took the one he was carrying and put it in the trunk. Then he asked about the bag that I had been pulling, “Oh, is that yours?” It wasn’t.

Links in this article: www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/ may/04/leave-them-kids-alonegriffiths en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igloolik en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nunavut

Last week, students in Post Oak Middle School travelled the Southeast United States by bus. Upper Elementary students explored Williamsburg. And then there’s —on a plane, unaccompanied— on an adventure at the next level. The level just right for him.

Are these trips just fun and educational or is there something more?

In her May 4 article in The Guardian, “Why Parents Should Leave Their Kids

High School teacher Jeremy Grisbee and Exchange student over a Rubik’s cube.

puzzle

MAY 17, 2013

PAGE 3

Sixth Grade Reports on Williamsburg MONDAY

After the entire group met at Bush Intercontinental Airport and everyone was through security, we took a tram to terminal B. We split into five groups and had a snack. My group was the first one to the gate.

Once there I realized that our flight changed gates.

My group quickly went back to tell everyone else.

We then took another tram to terminal C and arrived at the gate just as they were boarding. A couple of hours later we arrived in Richmond, Virginia. The group split up into four rental minivans and we headed to Williamsburg. When we arrived in the Williamsburg area, we had dinner at a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant called Kyoto. It was a first time experience for many of the students and it was very good. The group then drove to the Visitor Center where we took a bus to Colonial Williamsburg. At Colonial Williamsburg we went on a ghost walk at night. Our guide led us to a house where a Scottish man told us a story about a man, his dog, and a fairy. When he finished his story the guide took us to the Governor’s Palace. We were all seated in a room when a woman came bursting in and told us a story about a women, her husband, her three children, and a fire. It was startling. Finally, we went back on the bus to the Visitor Center and our cars and checked

into our five hotel rooms. This is what happened on the first day of the 6th grade Williamsburg trip.

by On the first day we all met at the Houston airport and departed at 1 o’clock and we were planning to arrive at 4 o’clock but we had a great pilot and got there around 3 o’clock.

For dinner we went to a restaurant (a Japanese one) where the chef cooked in front of you! It was delicious and he told jokes and threw food in our mouths. He was funny.

We did this thing called the Ghost Tour where they told scary ghost stories but to me it wasn’t really that scary. Then we arrived at our hotel and checked in.

We got our rooms and we went in them and went to sleep. I had loads of fun though thanks to Mr. Pinto.

by TUESDAY

On Tuesday, May 7 all of the 6th graders had gotten up early, eaten breakfast, and headed to Jamestown.

The goal was to spend most of the day there. The roadside view on the way to Jamestown was

extraordinary! All of the lush green trees and grand lakes were amazing! When we went to Jamestown we headed straight to the outside exhibit. The first exhibit we went to was the Powhatan Village. There I learned how to use an oyster shell to skin a deer hide and make it into clothing, saw the huts they lived in, how they can make a canoe out of a tree trunk, and much more. We also saw The Suzan Constant, The Discovery, and The God Speed. These were the three ships that brought the settlers to Jamestown. We were also taught how to tie knots in a very comical way. The next thing we did was visit the Jamestown colony. We got to see what a kitchen would have been like in the 1400s, a blacksmith at work, and how a musket worked. After we had lunch, the rest of the time in Jamestown was spent inside the museum. A couple of hours later we headed back to Williamsburg to eat dinner. Then it was time to attend the witch trial. A lady had been accused of being a witch and was put to trial and was found guilty.

by On Tuesday, we woke up at around 7:00, got dressed, ate breakfast at the hotel, and left for Jamestown at around 8:30.

Photos submitted by Mario Kapusta

First, we went to a recreation of the Powhatan settlement, near Jamestown. We saw what life was like then. We saw the types of houses that they lived in, how they did things, and what their life was like in general.

Next, we went to the dock, and saw life-size models of the ships that the first English settlers came on.

We got to go on them, and on the biggest of the three, the Susan Constant, we even got to go below deck!

On the dock there was a man who worked for the museum, who was very funny. He told us he would teach us how to be “knotty” and he taught us a bunch of sailor’s knots.

Then we went to Jamestown. We got to try on armor, continued on page 4

PAGE 4

M AY 17, 2013

Reports on Williamsburg continued from page 3

see a blacksmith, go to one of the smaller churches, see a colonial house, and we got to see a musket demonstration!

After that, we had lunch at the museum cafeteria.

There was a lightning strike within 10 miles, so we had to stay in the indoor area of the museum. We explored the museum and watched a movie about Jamestown.

After the movie, we went to the giftshop and played outside on a field. There were so many gnats!!!

We had dinner at a very good restaurant, and they had salt scrub in the bathroom that made our hands very, very soft!

The last thing we did was we saw a play based on a witch trial called “Cry Witch”. It was very… realistically interesting. We got to be the jury, and we voted the witch guilty!

by WEDNESDAY

We woke up around 7:30 a.m. and went downstairs to have breakfast. After breakfast we got ready to leave for Williamsburg colony. There we saw how they made everything from shoes to chairs. It was incredible! We then went to visit the jail cell there.

Seeing that was really interesting because we were even able to go inside. Once we finished at the jail cell we went to have lunch at a restaurant nearby.

After lunch we were able to have recess outside of the restaurant for a short while. We then visited a few more places. After dinner that evening we returned to Williamsburg where we were able to march with the soldiers for about an hour. A Sergeant told us what to do just like in the real infantry. It was an amazing experience.

by On Wednesday we got to go to Colonial Williamsburg and went to the Visitor’s Center. At the Visitor’s Center we saw the Powhatan huts and how to make leather. The people that work there actually make their own clothing. We then went into

the fort where we say many workers making things from armor to food. One of my favorite makers was the blacksmith. He was making hooks for the fort.

The last thing we saw was a musket firing. After we got out of the fort we went to have lunch at the cafeteria. Once we ate lunch we saw a video on the history of Williamsburg. When we were walking back we stopped at the historical public jail. We got to actually go into the jail cells. It began to pour once we got in. Some people stayed in the cells, but others got soaked. After we ate at a restaurant in Williamsburg we went to a march where the Sergeant told us what to do just like in a real infantry.

We stood for over an hour. This day was tiring, but really exciting.

by THURSDAY

After a brief breakfast, our Upper Elementary expedition set off to Yorktown at approximately 8:30. While traveling, the commanding chaperones kept morale up with word puzzles, improvised plays, stories of escaped lunatics, and general small talk.

Having just arrived at Yorktown, the party explored the ancient farm and primitive housing. They toyed with the indigenous animals, until it was quite clear they shouldn’t. After they had their fill of exploring, they continued along a set path until they came to a large building, sort of like an archives building.

The party explored the building and glanced at the artifacts, records, and general information, and then

went outside. Their eyes were treated to a bouquet of well-preserved makeshift structures from the particular time period the items in the building pertained to.

While exploring, they found an old medical tent.

They were marveled by some of the antique tools, and disgusted by others. They then proceeded to see a mortar, a commonly used heavy weapon during its time, fired with, of course, an order by one of their sword-wielding commanding chaperones. The expedition then continued back into the building, where they were treated to a detailed visual presentation of the events of the past. After a brief petit déjeuner (small break), the expedition set off in search of food. They settled on a small restaurant, and ate quickly.

The party then set off to explore the site of a battle fought before their time. They arrived, and began exploring. They stayed on a pre-determined path, which allotted a strangely spectacular view. They marveled at the old weaponry and the largeness of it. The group proceeded to an area consisting of two hills with a dip in between. There they relaxed, most exhausted from exploring. They knew they must continue exploring, and set off to Williamsburg. In Williamsburg, they looked around, and found that the locals were holding a parade. They stayed for a while, and enjoyed the parade, and then set off to eat at a local restaurant. There, they ate a dinner similar to that which those they were studying continued on page 5

MAY 17, 2013

PAGE 5

Reports on Williamsburg continued from page 4

would have eaten. After they had their fill, they proceeded to see a play written much earlier, but performed in the group’s time. The actors in the play, when requested, would replay a favorite moment from the performance. After the play was over and done, the group walked to get some small dessert, and headed back to where they were staying. They retired to their rooms to sleep, knowing that the next day would be their last day exploring this area. But would it truly be?

by On Thursday we went to Yorktown where we had a lot of fun. We went to the museum there where we learned about the battle of Yorktown. We saw a cannon, which was one of the coolest things that day.

We got to see the cannon being fired and we also toured the battle site. Then we went to Christiana Campbell’s tavern to eat. The food there was great!

Then we went to see a play, it was called “The Waking Statue” which was hilarious, in my opinion, the best play ever!

by FRIDAY

When I woke up at my usual 7:30 a.m. in Williamsburg I had mixed emotions. I was happy to go home, but I was sad to leave, for this was our last day here. But this was to change on what I

believe to be the most eventful day of our trip. This is what happened: when we finished our final stroll of Williamsburg all of us got in the vans to drive to Richmond to catch our flight. Around halfway there, our chaperone (Dr. Kapusta) received a call from the school saying something happened with the flight. I then had to signal all the other cars to call the school to see what happened. We pulled over at a rest stop and discussed what happened and what to do. What do you think happened? Our flight had been cancelled. But then the teachers saved the day!

We went bowling! Because like one of the teachers said (Debbie Nickerson), “We can either sit around and have no fun, or we can make the most of our experience.”

by On Friday after we all ate breakfast at the hotel we got in our vans and went back to Williamsburg. Once we got there we walked around and went to a few different shops. We also went to a really old church that was around in the 1700s. From the church we kind of had to rush to the area where all the speakers go so we could get good front row seats to listen to Patrick Henry, but since we got there early we got to play in a maze that Mr. Pinto showed us on Wednesday. We had so much fun playing infection!

When there were about 10 minutes left until Patrick Henry spoke, we went over and listened to him.

After we listened to him, we went to this really cool restaurant called The Cheese Shop, where they had all kinds of cheese! So we all got sandwiches.

After we finished we went group by group into the candy store!!! They had all kinds of candy like fudge, saltwater taffy, giant lollipops and so much more candy!!!!

After the candy store we got in our vans and were supposed to be going to the airport to go home but we got a phone call from the school saying that our flight got cancelled because of the bad weather in Houston, so we would be staying in Virginia for another night.

But it ended up not being a bad thing because we went bowling and had a blast!

by

SATURDAY

I woke up at around 7 a.m. feeling ecstatic to finally be leaving. I then went downstairs, had breakfast and prepared to leave to the airport. Once we arrived at the airport, we went to check in our luggage and walk through security. When we finally boarded the plane to Chicago, everyone was in a rather anxious mood because they knew that once the plane landed we would have to sprint to our next gate. When our plane landed we hurriedly went to our next gate where our plane was located and that would finally take us home to Houston. We made it!

by Dr. Kapusta and I woke up and went downstairs to eat breakfast. We finished breakfast and went back upstairs to get our things.

After we checked out of the hotel, we went to the airport. We then checked in our bags, went through security and to our gate. A few moments later we ate at a place called Cheeseburger. Once finished we got on the plane and flew to Chicago where we had to run to catch our flight back to Houston.

by On Saturday in Williamsburg, and I had to wake up at five o’clock. We got to the airport at about six fifteen. All of us boarded the plane at six forty-five and left at seven. We got to the Chicago airport at about nine.

On the plane I sat next to and I slept for about an hour and thirty minutes and when I awoke I had some gum that I was chewing stuck on one of my teeth. Once I got the gum off my tooth, and I played hang man for the rest of the plane ride.

Time went on and it was almost time to get on the airplane to go to Houston (home). On the plane I sat next to and I did not sleep on this flight. I played cards with and Once we landed we went to baggage claim where I saw my mom and my little sister. After I said hi to them I went to go get my bag off the carousel and said bye to Mrs. Pinto.

by

PAGE 6

M AY 17, 2013

MS Odyssey The Middle School recently took their Odyssey trip. During the trip, they visited Galveston, New Orleans, Monroeville (home to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird), Atlanta, and Birmingham. Highlights of the trip included visiting the courthouse that Harper Lee based her work on, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum. •

Attend the Moving Up Ceremony!

It’s time to make plans to attend the eighth grade Moving Up Ceremony on May 31 at 6:30 p.m. Come see the power of Post Oak education and celebrate with those students moving forward.

MAY 17, 2013

PAGE 7

Where Are They Headed?

Post Oak Alumni High School and College Acceptances 2013 8th graders accepted to:

2009 graduates accepted to the following colleges:

◆◆ Awty International School*

◆◆ Alfred University

◆◆ The University of Georgia

◆◆ Bellaire High School*

◆◆ Baylor University

◆◆ The University of Mississippi*

◆◆ Cranbrook Academy of Art (Bloomfield Hills, MI)

◆◆ Belmont University

◆◆ The University of Texas at Austin*

◆◆ Bristol University

◆◆ The University of Texas at Austin (Plan II)*

◆◆ Duchesne Academy* ◆◆ Emery/Weiner School*

◆◆ Christopher Newport University

◆◆ Episcopal High School*

◆◆ Colorado College

◆◆ High School for the Performing and Visual Arts*

◆◆ Drew University

◆◆ Houston Christian High School* ◆◆ Pope John XXIII ◆◆ Post Oak High School*

◆◆ Furman University ◆◆ Juniata College* ◆◆ Randolph College

◆◆ School of the Woods

◆◆ Rhodes College

◆◆ St. Agnes Academy*

◆◆ Richmond University

◆◆ St. John’s School*

◆◆ Smith College*

◆◆ St. Pius X

◆◆ Southern Methodist University

◆◆ St. Stephen’s Episcopal School (Austin, TX)*

◆◆ Southwestern University

◆◆ St. Thomas High School ◆◆ Strake Jesuit

◆◆ The University of Alabama ◆◆ The University of Arizona

◆◆ The University of Vermont ◆◆ Trinity University ◆◆ University College of London ◆◆ University of California at Berkeley ◆◆ University of Delaware ◆◆ University of Portland ◆◆ University of St. Andrews ◆◆ University of Southern California ◆◆ University of Virginia* ◆◆ Vanderbilt University * ◆◆ Wake Forest University* * Denotes school attending

◆◆ Westbury Christian ◆◆ Westchester*

Congratulations to our Post Oak alumni!

PAGE 8

“I believe that our motivations define our characters!” declared Jack Brewer— former NFL Captain of three teams, President of the Brewer Foundation, and friend of the Montessori Model United Nations Movement—as he addressed the parents and chaperones in a meeting where he explained his philanthropically significant work in Malawi and Haiti and his abiding respect for Montessori. The student delegates were hard at work in their various committee rooms debating and constructing their draft resolutions which would be read out and voted upon at the UN General Assembly the next day.

They had studied the United Nations and its work, worked on learning the cultural/ geographical and political realities of the country they represented, prepared a position paper on the topic they had pertaining to a current global issue, and finally had written a speech, which outlined their ideas to be presented to a room full of peers.

MMUN SUMMARY

The four-day MMUN meeting in New York was a great learning experience for all of the Middle School students representing the delegation of India. Our Opening Ceremony on Wednesday was followed by two days of committee sessions. On Saturday, we went to the UN building to vote on the resolutions in the seats of the actual delegates. It was a great feeling to know that you were being heard.

As a Security Council delegate, the two topics put before me and my partner were the North Korean situation and the Syrian situation. They were both tricky problems, but along with the rest of the Security Council we found a solution. It was nice how everyone was friends by the end of the first

M AY 17, 2013

MMUN 2013

This was another exciting year for modeling the United Nations. We have now worked through four such experiences, each year learning from the last, each year creating memories different and unique from the previous ones. This year, Montessori Model UN split into two conferences, a week apart, one for the Middle School delegates, and one for the Upper Elementary. Both conferences were attended by Post Oak students. Both conferences had over 800 participants each and both were joyously successful.

154 nations were represented in several committees, and we sought solutions to current topics that are being discussed at the United Nations. International Montessori students from Pakistan, Chile, Mexico, China, Japan, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands travelled from their respective countries to participate.

According to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, “The committee session. Once we knew each other, the meetings were a nice blend of socialization and work.

The whole committee helped each other create resolutions that were so good that four out of five of them passed on Saturday. This has taught me a great deal about everything from diplomacy and public speaking to the UN system. I look forward to doing this next year.

by MMUN TRIP, 2013

MMUN has been an amazing experience for me, ever since 4th grade, when I first participated. That year, last year, and even this year, I have said that it would be my last in MMUN, but as soon as I go into

spirit of the United Nations is resilient, dedicated, striving to do more. We try to bring that spirit to all our work.” Dr. Montessori’s views on peace, social justice, and democracy flowed from her conviction that we all share the task of building a peaceful world. She saw the initiation of this work as emanating from the young people in the company of whom we are privileged to spend our time.

The delegates of MMUN 2013 certainly showed that this spirit was alive and a sincere part of their efforts.

We would like to use this opportunity to thank our Head of School, Mr. Long, our Business Office including Mrs. Lunsford and Ms. Peterson, as well as our parents and chaperones who were invaluable in their support, enthusiasm, and faith. We are looking forward to another grand experience next year.

—Errol and Maya Pinto

the conference on the first day, my mind changes immediately. I always have so much satisfaction when I get to make a resolution alongside fellow delegates from all over the country and all over the world, that might help solve a major international problem. I was planning on this year being my last, because I’m entering 7th grade next year and there will be a lot of changes in school. However, just like the years before, I have changed my mind. MMUN has helped me develop skills in so many areas that I wouldn’t be able to develop in most other places. I have developed leadership skills, negotiating skills, and am now so much more aware of what’s going on in the world than I was before I first participated in the program. I’ve also made friends from around continued on page 9

MAY 17, 2013

PAGE 9

MMUN 2013 continued from page 8

the globe. MMUN is a truly unique experience, and it has helped me in so many ways. Mr. and Mrs. Pinto put in so much effort to make it all happen here, and what they do is truly remarkable. MMUN is one of my favorite things I do, and it is one of the reasons that I like Post Oak.

by MY MMUN EXPERIENCE

My MMUN experience was packed with thrilling stuff to do, and it started with an exciting morning. I woke up, and strangely, something was tingling in

the back of my mind. Then I remembered. My mom and I were going to New York for MMUN! To me, it seemed like getting ready, going to the airport, and all of that stuff took a minute, and soon the plane was above the clouds.

in the conferences we were having. The country I represented was France, and my topic was universal primary education. If our resolutions pass in our mock committees, they are submitted to the real UN and they vote on them there.

The other delegates (students) and I did lots of work before we went on this flight. The main work that we did was: our report on the United Nations (UN), our research on the country we were representing, the research on the issue we were trying to solve, and what our country had to do with it (the position paper), and our speech on our position paper. All of this work would pay off when we made our resolution to the problem we were trying to solve

Our first main event when we were in New York was our day trip. The day trip we had this year was a historical tour of lower Manhattan. Everyone learned a lot on this trip, and I was very glad I could associate some of the stuff that we learned on this trip with what I learned in school.

Our first event related to MMUN in New York was the Opening Ceremony. The Opening Ceremony symbolized that our work in New York had begun. At this time, I saw people from all over the world; it was amazing. Many people came up to the microphone to give us words of encouragement.

The very next morning our conferences began. I was very nervous, and at the same time, brave when I made the motion to begin our conference that day.

I was even more nervous when the topic that day was mine, which meant that I would be giving my speech and we would be writing the resolution for my topic that day! When the president of my committee, UNICEF, called me to read my speech, I couldn’t be any more nervous than I was. But after I started reading my speech, all of the nervousness washed away. When I was done, a sense of relief came over me. That day, I found myself being the leader of the group that I got together to make a resolution. The next day was my partner’s topic, reducing child mortality. This day, I was not as nervous as I was the other day; I had gotten used to my surroundings. My favorite parts of our conferences are what we call moderated caucuses.

Moderated caucuses are when we get to share our ideas and if we do not like some of the ideas, we can argue against them. I think this is the part of the conference that I was most involved with.

When the conference on the first day ended, we had a special event in store for us that evening, where we would be entertained in a special way. As you know, people from all over the world were there, and this evening was when they get to show their culture to us. It was the Cultural Exchange Event, where the continued on page 10

PAGE 10

M AY 17, 2013

MMUN 2013 continued from page 9

delegates get to perform things in the arts. I was dumbfounded by some of the things people did.

On the second day of our conferences, we had the Social Night after our conference. The Social Night was when we got to see all our fellow delegates now as friends, and get their email addresses, phone numbers, and other stuff like that so that we could keep in touch. The delegates from China brought beautiful gifts for us, and everybody who got them treasured them.

On the very last day of our entire MMUN program this year, we had the Closing Ceremony, which was held in the General Assembly at the UN! On this day, I was very tense, because this was the day that we would vote on our resolutions. Before we voted on our resolutions, a few people gave us some words of encouragement. Then, we proceeded to voting. I was very happy after the Closing Ceremony, because the resolutions on both topics passed! I bought my mom, dad, sister, and myself a small souvenir from the gift shop to have a memory of this wonderful trip.

This year, I had lots of fun, and I definitely want to come next year. The thing that inspired me the most this year was the vice president and rapporteur of our committee, because they used to be part of MMUN as a delegate, and now as a member of the dais! I would also like to take the same path as they did ‌

by MMUN

My first time to New York was extremely wonderful.

I saw many amazing sights including the General Assembly in the United Nations building, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, The 9/11 memorial, the CBS broadcasting center, M&M world and some places in history that are still there!!! This trip meant more to me than just going to New York but, also it taught me about leadership and responsibility.

This also taught me the lifelong lesson of standing up for myself and communicating with others. My favorite part of the whole trip was probably giving my speech. After my speech people came up to me and said that they liked it. When my partner

gave her speech we started to make a resolution with people and when we were in the General Assembly it got enough votes so our resolution passed. I thought it was cool meeting people from all around the world. There were people there from Hawaii, China, Tokyo, and more. I actually became friends with some girls from China. It is truly fun to work with people representing other countries to make one big resolution. We went as delegates and pretty much after the first step we took into the rooms we were now the representatives of different countries. I was a representative of Thailand. I think

this trip was really fun and a wonderful opportunity for me and I enjoyed it.

by THOUGHTS/IMPRESSIONS MMUN

Being a fourth grader and new to MMUN, I was not sure what had signed up for. While we attended the information session last spring, I was unaware what would lie ahead. From the first week, Katherine had projects each week that she needed to continued on page 11

MAY 17, 2013

PAGE 11

MMUN 2013 continued from page 10

complete. Never did the work seem overwhelming; rather more like additional homework. As her position paper became due, she started to wonder what she had gotten herself into. She pushed through and completed the paper followed by her speech. It was a happy day when both her position paper and speech were submitted and approved.

Watching Katherine in New York working in her committee with other delegates one and two years older than her was fascinating. She was very well prepared and knew the task at hand. She drafted a resolution and obtained signatures from supporting countries. Her draft resolution was accepted when presented at the General Assembly at the United Nations.

Maya and Errol are clearly pros at this and should be well recognized for their work with the students.

Katherine learned so much in this process. The trip itself was run exactly as presented to the parents.

Maya and Errol have a wonderful command of the program and the students. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience this year.

by Susan Leverenz

Volunteers Always a Treat Dark clouds couldn’t dampen the spirits at the annual POPA Volunteer Appreciation Ice Cream Social. The Post Oak community gathered together in the gym to celebrate our volunteers in all areas including the Board of Trustees, POPA events, room parents, chaperones, class captains, work days and more. Thank you to our many awesome volunteers for all you do! •

PAGE 12

M AY 17, 2013

Composting, the Plain Vanilla Way

by Daniela Weil, Post Oak parent and Green Team member Okay, so today we are going to look into the one of the solutions to the garbage disposal problem. Welcome to the wonderful world of composting!

I started composting because I did not like how my garbage can smelled every time I pulled it out of the cabinet. I also worried about cockroaches (hello, Houston!) So my family and I decided to fence in a little area behind the garage, and I started to collect food waste in a small covered counter top trash bin by the sink.

We take the food out every couple of days. I’m happy to report it NEVER smelled! We never really know it’s even there.

I’ll just run by you a quick composting 101 of the plain vanilla composting technique. You need a pretty small area in your yard, about three feet wide, and three feet high. You can fence it with wood, chicken wire, or use a bin. Most food scraps can be used, minus proteins (meats/bones and dairy) and oily/greasy stuff.

Use “green” items such as fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, and grass clippings. Use “brown” items like cardboard boxes, dried leaves, shredded papers, mulch and even vacuum cleaner dirt and lint! The bottom of the pile should hold about four to eight inches of “brown” stuff. You can throw “green” stuff

Still Have Gala Receipts?

All Gala receipts for reimbursement are due by May 31.

Please help us close the books on this fabulous event by submitting your receipts before the due date.

Thank you, Christina Cantu, Development Director

over that. The ratio of the layers should be about three “brown” to one “green”. Keep the pile moist by sprinkling some water on it. Mix and aerate the pile about two or three times a week. It’s better to keep it somewhat covered, if possible. That’s it for the basics. After a few months, you should have some soil, which can be used in your flower beds or gardens.

This should be a fun activity for parents to do with kids. It will be an eye-opening experience for everyone to see the transformation from organic wastes to soil. There are lessons in the process about engineering, math, biology, biochemistry, and ecology, and a great one that shows how everyone is empowered to help heal the earth.

Thanks for reading and caring! •

ERFs and Health Inquiry Forms due May 31 2013–2014 Emergency Release Forms (ERFs) and Health Inquiry Forms for each student have been sent out. Please be sure to make any necessary changes and return to the school by Friday, May 31.

MAY 17, 2013

PAGE 13

Cinco de Mayo Thank you to Spanish Specialist Patricia Onofre and the Primary classroom assistants for their work on this year’s Cinco de Mayo performances. Additional thanks go to event chairs Kelly Hill and Allison Zapata and all the volunteers for making it a fun event for all. Check out the photo galleries online in the parent community: www.postoakschool.org/ postoak/Photo_Galleries.asp. •

PAGE 14

Post Oak Filmmakers a Festival Hit Congratulations to and on their film “Origami Crane” being selected for the CineYouth Film festival held in Chicago last weekend. Presented by Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival, CineYouth is a yearly youth film festival celebrating and showcasing short films made by filmmakers 21-years-old and younger from around the world. The festival jury reviewed over 300 films from around the world and chose 90 to be screened at the festival held at Columbia College Chicago. The Post Oak boys were among the youngest filmmakers with films selected for the festival. and as well as “Origami Crane”, were enthusiastically received by the staff and other filmmakers in attendance over the weekend. •

M AY 17, 2013

Camp Allen By and Elementary students

Lower

Camp Allen; man, it was fun. I got to go on a hike with Mr. JP and went canoeing.

Sadly we got stranded but we escaped with the power of teamwork. The people in my cabin were and Mr. Richter. And that, my friends, is part of what I did. Now here’s the rest of the story from my friend

Photo submitted by Katie Orr

Hello, my name is and my experience at Camp Allen was really fun. We had s’mores, went canoeing but got stranded, then we went catching fish, and we went on a hike. The people in the cabin were and Mr. Richter. We declared war on the girls in cabin 4, 3, 2 and 1. •

Lemonade Day and had their first taste of entrepreneurial life on Saturday, May 11! Participating in National Lemonade Day, the boys created a beautiful storefront next to Torchy’s Tacos in Rice Village and sold fresh organic lemonade.

The venture was highly successful. After repaying investors, the partners split a sizable profit. They were assisted by and •

Photo submitted by Lana Rigsby

by Lana Rigsby, Post Oak parent

MAY 17, 2013

Photo submitted by Heidi Rosenstrauch

PAGE 15

BBVA Bank Tour Several Post Oak families bid on and won the BBVA Bank Tour auction item from the Gala, which offered a private tour of the BBVA Downtown Banking Center for a group of Post Oak children on May 3. Below is a report of that experience by tour guest On the BBVA bank tour I learned that the safe boxes are very important because no one knows what is in there but the person who put it in there. The tellers take bank notes or money and count it in the money counter. The money

Reminder!

Annual Fund Pledges Due

counter counts money and knows fake money from real money. It even knows if there is a five-dollar bill in a collection of one-dollar bills. Bankers do paper work. Money is kept behind a big door.

Behind the door, it’s kept in drawers. In order to open the doors two people have different codes and they don’t know what each other’s code is. There is a key to the drawers so they can open it and get the money out. There is knob on the big door that you can press to release if you get locked in the vault. •

All Post Oak Fund pledges are due by Friday, May 31.

Please contact Christina Cantu in the Development Office if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Lemonade Day Leads to Learning and Giving Congratulations to Lower Elementary student who participated in Lemonade Day Houston.

This week she fulfilled one of her goals from the project by donating $50 from her business proceeds to the Post Oak Annual Fund. said she did it because she wanted to help. and her mother Ariana met with Head of School John Long to present the school with a $50 bill. They were joined by representatives from Frost Bank who presented the school a check to match contribution. is the first Post Oak student this year to make a personal contribution to the Annual Fund. We thank her for her generosity and acknowledge her hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. •

PAGE 16

M AY 17, 2013

C A L E N DA R

N OT I C E B OA R D

New Big Brother!

M A Y 1 9 –2 5

MMUN Intro Evening

Mon 5/20

5:30–7 p.m.

Primary student has a new little brother, was born April 26 weighing 8 pounds, 20 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.

Congratulations to proud parents Jamie and Michael Miranda!

New Infant Community parent gathering

Tue 5/21

7 p.m.

New Elementary parent gathering

Wed 5/22

Lower EL 6:30–7:15 p.m.

Upper EL 7:15–8 p.m.

Declaration of the Bab Spring ASEP ends

Fri 5/24

Seeking New Home

No Weekly Post this week

M AY 2 6 –J U N E 1

Mon 5/27

Memorial Day (school closed)

Wed–Thu 5/29–30

HS Spring Trip MS to Artesian Lakes Last day of school Early dismissal

Fri 5/31

IC 11 am PRI 11:30 am EL & MS noon

Planning has begun for celebrations throughout the 2013–2014 school year, including our Jubilee in the fall.

Shadow, a guinea pig, needs to find a home with a new loving family. He is black and white and about nine to ten months old. If you are interested, please contact Shonali Agrawal at

Interested in volunteering?

Contact kathrynmurphy@ postoakschool.org

HS families Hermann Park picnic at noon MS Moving Up Ceremony 6:30 p.m.

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.

Check out our calendar online or download a copy at www.postoakschool.org

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