i n t h i s i s s u e : s e n s e i f o r a d a y • n e w schoo l y e a r , n e w yo u • w e l c o m e s & wa l k t h r o u g h s
The
vo lu m e X V I I I , n u m b e r 1 A weekly publication of The Post Oak School
POST
S e p t e m b e r 6 , 2 013 Available online at www.postoakschool.org
Fa i lu r e is a be t t e r t e ach e r t h a n s ucc e ss by John Long, Head of School
Elementary students receive a lesson in origami from our Japanese visitors.
W
hen Charlie Rose interviewed him last week, comedian John Oliver reflected on the challenges inherent in learning his craft. Stand-up comedy is notoriously difficult and unpredictable, and a routine that works one night can bomb the next. “You learn more from failure than success,” he told Rose.
His comments reminded me of the story told by Stanford research psychologist Carol Dweck at the opening of her book Mindset: The New Psycholog y of Success. “When I was a young researcher, just starting out, something happened that changed my life. I was obsessed with understanding how people cope with failures, and I decided to study it by watching continued on page 2
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Failure is a Better Teacher than Success continued from page 1
how students grapple with hard problems. So I brought children in one at a time to a room in their school, made them comfortable, and then gave them a series of puzzles to solve. The first ones were fairly easy, but the next ones were hard. As the students grunted, perspired, and toiled, I watched their strategies and probed what they were thinking and feeling. I expected differences among children in how they coped with the difficulty, but I saw something I never expected. Confronted with the hard puzzles, one tenyear-old boy pulled up his chair, rubbed his hands together, smacked his lips, and cried out, “I love a challenge!” Another, sweating away on these puzzles, looked up with a pleased expression and said with authority, “You know, I was hoping this would be informative!” What’s wrong with them? I wondered. I always thought you coped with failure or you didn’t cope with failure. I never thought anyone loved failure. Were these alien children or were they on to something? Everyone has a role model, someone who pointed the way at a critical moment in their lives. These children were my role models. They obviously knew something I didn’t and I was determined to figure it out—to understand the kind of mindset that could turn failure into a gift.”
Dweck did not say that all children displayed this unexpected mindset, but many did, and it perplexed her. She could not understand the children’s orientation toward difficulty, toward not knowing, toward error, toward failure. Their attitude Underlined phrases in this article are links to websites—access them in the online edition (link on the left side of the homepage).
challenged a common American cultural meme best expressed by former Green Bay Packers football coach Vince Lombardi: “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” Lombardi was singularly focused on the final result. Unfortunately, his prescription for success does not pay attention to the process that it takes to get there – nor the mindset required. Another coach in another sport, John Wooden, perhaps the most successful college basketball coach of all time, did not say, “winning is the only thing.” Instead, Wooden told his players, “Don’t be afraid to fail. If you are afraid to fail, you will never do the things you are capable of doing. If you have thoroughly prepared and are ready to give it all you’ve got, there is no shame if you fail--nothing to fear in failure. But fear of failure is what often prevents one from taking action.” Dr. Montessori understood that all learning entails mistakes, errors and failure. She said we should help children develop a friendly relationship with error – otherwise, the fear of failure will prevent you from trying something hard, from ‘loving a challenge’. So how do coaches, parents and teachers help children develop a friendly relationship with error, and a challenge-loving mindset? Begin by examining your own feelings toward error because we pass on our beliefs and attitudes to our children in the subtle and explicit ways we act and speak. Are you a Vince Lombardi who expects to win at all times on all fronts for yourself and your offspring?
Are you a perfectionist with little tolerance for error, whose standards are impossible to meet? When our children are learning to walk and talk, we applaud their every effort. We hold out open hands encouraging them to take two steps, now three, now four across the open floor. We maintain full conversations with them even when their half of the dialog is babble. When was the last time you heard a parent say to a toddler, “Get up! No child of mine falls down!” And how quickly does our pride in an accomplishment lead us to say, “You’re so smart!” If, as Buckminster Fuller said, “All children are born geniuses,” perhaps ours are not so uniquely intelligent. However, Carol Dweck points out another problem with saying, “you’re so smart” or “you’re so talented.” It leads children to believe that they succeed because of their talent or their smarts. And when they do make a mistake, which we know is the inevitable result of being on the steep part of the learning curve when acquiring any new skill, it challenges their sense of personal identity as a smart kid. That alone can cause a child to avoid rather than seek out challenges – because if he doesn’t know the answer or know how to do it, is he really a smart kid after all? Rather than praising intelligence or talent, Dweck advises us to acknowledge effort. “You really worked hard on that puzzle.” This, she says, is one way to develop a challenge-oriented mindset. As parents, aren’t we trying to learn a highly complex skill? That’s a challenge!
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Sensei for a Day by Shekkola Gray, Middle School Director My first introduction to the city of Chiba came from Post Oak parent alum last July. From I learned that Chiba, Japan, a modern port on the Tokyo Bay, is considered a sister city of Houston. Chiba and Houston have been exchanging students for 40 years. The Houston-Chiba Youth Exchange program is overseen by the Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH). The cities alternate years, sending 4-6 students to its sister city each year. The aim of the exchange program is to broaden the cultural perspective of both the exchange student and the host family. That’s where the Post Oak Middle School community came in. Judy was looking for two host families, and knew that the families of Post Oak were the best host family anyone could ask for. I sent a request to the parent community and received more responses than could be accepted. The and families hosted
and The family hosted chaperone and English teacher Ms.
had never visited the United States prior to participating in the exchange program.
is 13 years old and is in the second grade at Chiba Municipal Hanazono Junior High School. (Second grade in a Japanese Junior High School is equivalent to our seventh grade.) He enjoys baseball, movies, The Beatles, and reading Sherlock Holmes stories. He was happy to enjoy Tex-Mex food for the first time. His visit to Texas this summer was his second trip to the United States, as he had visited San Francisco last August. His visit to San Francisco was a reunion with his father’s host family. father was an exchange student in California from 1980-1981.
has been a teacher for 10 years. She is currently an English teacher for Chiba municipal Izumiya junior high school. ( explained to me that teachers in Japan rotate on a fixed frequency.) studied English at a university in Oklahoma several years ago.
is 14 years old and is in his third year at Chiba Municipal Inage Junior and Senior High School. oves sports and participates in soccer and swimming clubs in Japan. He also enjoys singing.
Various activities were planned by JASH for the exchange students, including trips to an Astros game and Johnson Space Center, a visit with Houston Mayor Annise Parker, and a trip to San Antonio. And, because the exchange this year took place from August 16 – August 29, 2013, and accompanied the middle school on the community building retreat at Artesian Lakes. The alligators at Artesian Lakes were the first ones our visitors from continued on page 7
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Post Oak Celebrates 50 Years! The Post Oak School, originally known as the Little School House, was opened by Carol Ferguson in 1963 with one primary classroom. Here’s a POS trivia question: Do you know the location of our first campus? Be one of the first five people to email jessicajackson@postoakschool.org with the answer, and receive a piece of Post Oak School swag!
The beginning of a brand new school year is always an exciting time; it means new friends, new experiences, and new memories that will last a lifetime. As we kick off Post Oak’s 50th anniversary year, we’re anticipating a whole new level of excitement! This year-long celebration will honor our school’s rich heritage, and includes many fun-filled events. Keep an eye out for updates published on the “Celebrating Our 50th!” page, which can be found on the left-hand navigation area of our website.
evening of festivities. Chaired by Post Oak Alumni parents, and this exquisite event will start with cocktails in the Hall of Gems and Minerals, and then move to the Grand Entry Hall for dinner. Memorable surprises are in store, as Post Oak alumni and current students will join us with their presentations in a celebratory program. Jubilee tickets are selling fast, and seating is limited. Invitations (see ad on right) have been mailed and tickets can also be purchased on our website.
Here’s an overview of how you’ll be able to participate in our community-wide celebration of the Post Oak School’s first 50 fabulous years:
Celebrating in the classroom Students will also take part in this celebratory year as teachers bring the legacy of Post Oak into the classroom. Throughout this school year, your child will take part in classroom activities to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Your child’s teacher will decide on an activity that is both meaningful and special to his or her students.
50th Jubilee September is here, which means our 50th Anniversary Jubilee is just one month away! On Saturday, October 5, 2013, diverse members of the Post Oak community will gather at the Houston Museum of Natural Science for an
The Post Oak School and chairs Pam Boyar and cc Hetherington invite you to the celebratory
Fifty for Fifty In honor of our anniversary year, we have established a 50-for-50 project to highlight the community service done on a regular basis by Post Oak families, students, faculty and staff, and to promote citizenship, service, and responsibility through helping others. These values are rooted deep in our school’s culture, and we invite you all to join us in the common goal of completing 50 service projects together throughout the school year. Classes might choose to do a project together; a group of students could collaborate on a project with a non-profit organization; or, a family might sign up to do work at their favorite charity. Once completed, please log your service on our school website so that all may be able to see the many helping hands that make up continued on the following page
FIFTIETH 50th Anniversary Jubilee Saturday, October 5, 2013 six o’clock in the evening
AN N IVE RSARY The Houston Museum of Natural science cocktails in the Hall of Gems and Minerals dinner and program in the Grand entry HALL 5555 Hermann Park Drive
Cocktail attire | Complimentary parking in the garage
1963–2013
our Post Oak family. We encourage you to check out the projects that are taking place, and join us in serving as a catalyst for positive change within our community. The Big Birthday Bash Chaired by Post Oak parents, and this year’s
Field Day is going to be bigger and better than ever as we celebrate Post Oak’s 50th birthday! We’re having more games, more booths, and more family fun on Saturday, November 2nd. Please join us for this picnic on the back field and playground and take part in both old favorites and new features, including classic games, a photo
booth, Bearkat giveaways, and of course, birthday cake! 50th Anniversary T-shirts 50th Anniversary T-shirts are arriving soon, and every Post Oak student will receive one. If you’re interested in
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An Accomplishment Worth Noting Congratulations to Post Oak Dad who recently earned his buckle at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. He finished in less than 9 hours – which is nothing “short” of AMAZING! • purchasing your own anniversary shirt, we have limited quantities and these will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Please email jessicajackson@postoakschool.org to reserve yours. Book Fair: Anniversary Edition The date has been changed, but it’s the same fun-filled event at Barnes & Noble on Holcombe at Buffalo Speedway. This year, due to the Jubilee happening in early October, the Book Fair will be held on March 6th. It’s the perfect opportunity to do some family shopping and to purchase books for The Post Oak School Library or your child’s classroom. Where in the World are Our Bearkats? Post Oak will be hosting a Spring Break Photo Fest from March 17–21 to capture that blazing Bearkat pride! Take a picture of your travels in Houston or abroad over spring break, wearing your 50th T-shirt or any Post Oak gear. Submit the photo via email to jessicajackson@postoakschool. org so that we can all watch this global collage emerge on our school website and Facebook Page. •
Good Energies from the Green Team! by Post Oak Parent Welcome back! We hope you had a joyful summer, survived the heat, and that you’re back to Houston and Post Oak with renewed energies! In the spirit of renewing energies, we want to invite parents (and students) who are interested in helping Post Oak in it’s environmental efforts, to join the Green Team. The Green Team, via volunteer help, has been the primary source of the major green changes that have taken place at the Post Oak School. Some of these undertakings have been: • • • • •
Recycling bins within the classrooms and in common areas. Green Team members worked with Middle School students to research and install rainwater collection drums used for school irrigation system Motion sensitive lighting within the school to reduce electric bills Reducing the amount of packaging used for school lunches Composting bins
This year, we will focus on small but meaningful changes inside the classrooms that can make a real difference to both the school environment and the environment as a whole. And of course we hope that during this process, our kids can experience their own breakthroughs and carry them into their home and throughout their lives on the whole. Volunteering for the Green Team doesn’t require a major time commitment. We will have meetings once a month, and perhaps some projects may require a few hours of attention within each month. In an effort to make it easier for parents who cannot be physically present for meetings (and to help reduce the Carbon Footprint of driving), you will be able to participate in those meetings through teleconferencing as well. We would love to include people who are passionate about the environment, tenacious in character, and who have clever, creative ideas, to join our Force, however you can! Please email me, at if this sounds like your calling! Many thanks, and looking forward to meeting all our Green Soldiers this year!
Our first meeting will be coming up soon. Look for it in the Post, and in the Post Highlight email!
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Sensei for a Day continued from page 3
Japan had seen outside the zoo! While at Artesian Lakes, the exchange students swam, practiced yoga, and participated in ropes courses alongside the middle school students. The exchange students commented that they did not want to leave because they were learning without feeling like they were learning. Upon our return to campus, the exchange students attended classes and even gave presentations to younger students about origami. When asked what they thought about the time spent at Post Oak, and had this to say: “I had a wonderful time here at Post Oak School. I was surprised at seeing that there are no desks in the classroom. It is surprising that students raise their hands and give comments about what they think freely. I think we should learn that way.” “As to classes, I had to use lots of imagination. I attended a math class.
I never thought how my life would be different if I had 6 fingers on each hand instead of five! It’s good to know how Post Oak School gives lessons to students.” In addition to her travels with the middle school, had the opportunity to observe in the lower elementary classroom of Simran Sood. shared these thoughts with me: “I stayed at Post Oak School for 5 days. I really appreciate that teachers welcomed us warmly, especially the first three days at Artesian Lakes.
Teachers were concerned about us, the three people from Japan! The system of Montessori school is interesting to me. I’d like to study more about the educational system after coming back to Japan.” Our community was happy to have had the opportunity to host and We hope that our students will apply to travel to Chiba next year to continue our participation in the exchange program. •
Kids Care Club Post Oak School’s Kids Care Club (POS KCC) is a service organization open to the entire Post Oak School community. Our goal is to find ways we can contribute to the world around us while spending time and learning valuable life lessons with our families. We try to find projects that all ages and abilities can participate in. Bring your friends and family along to our upcoming projects: September 15, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. The POS KCC will be preparing lunches for pre-schoolers with Food For Life to be distributed by Kids Meals Houston. We will be making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to put in sack
lunches for kids who would qualify for free school lunches, but aren’t in school yet. Those with peanut allergies will want to avoid this service project. October 5, 9:00 a.m. The POS KCC will be working in the Urban Harvest community garden. Neighborhood gardens provide an opportunity for neighbors to grow nutritious food as a community, and create an urban oasis for the neighborhood. For locations and more details, please join our Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/groups/278032742310211/ or email We look forward to seeing you! •
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Parenting the Love and Logic Way® -ins Drop e m welcorop-ins
Parenting the Love Logic Way® presented and by presented by LMFT, ATR-BC Phylis R. Tomlinson, LPC,
D me Post Oak Counselor & Independent Facilitator of Parenting the Love and Logic Way® curriculum welco Phylis R. Tomlinson, LPC, LMFT, ATR-BC Post Oak Counselor & Independent Facilitator of Parenting the Love and Logic Way® curriculum
A parenting program designed by Love and Logic®. This series of courses offersprogram solutions for families of children from A parenting designed by Love and Logic®. Thisearly series childhood to beyond adolescence. of courses offers solutions for families of children from early childhood to beyond adolescence.
Previous participants are encouraged to return to share Previousand participants encouraged to returnand to share experiences reinforceareskills. Grandparents other care experiences and reinforce skills. Grandparents and other care givers are also welcome. All classes are open to the public. givers are also welcome. All classes are open to the public. LEARN SOLUTIONS FOR: LEARN SOLUTIONS FOR:
• How do I get them out of bed on time?
• How do I get them out of bed on time?
• How can can I stop mymy children from • How I stop children frombickering bickeringand andfighting? fighting?
• How do Ido getI get mymy children to to help • How children helpwith withthe thechores choreswithout without an argument? an argument? • Is • there a way to discipline mymy toddler Is there a way to discipline toddlerininpublic publicwithout without creating a scene? creating a scene? • How teenage daughtertotocome comehome homeat at the the • How can can I getI get mymy teenage daughter agreed-upon time? agreed-upon time? • How to stop spittingfood foodororwhining whiningat at dinner? dinner? • How do Ido getI get himhim to stop spitting • And many other day-to-day parentingchallenges... challenges... • And many other day-to-day parenting
parenting programis isdesigned designedtotogive give you you ThisThis parenting program practical skills that can be used immediately! practical skills that can be used immediately!
MORNING CLASSES MORNING CLASSES Thurs., September 12, 19, 26,
Thurs., September 19,(6 26,weeks) October 3, (Tues.)12, 8, 17 October 3, 9:00–10:30 (Tues.) 8, 17 a.m. (6 weeks) a.m. $109:00–10:30 for entire 6-week series $10 for entire 6-week series includes workbook includes workbook (a public service offered by Post Oak) (a public service offered by Post Oak)
EVENING CLASSES
EVENING CLASSES
Wed., September Wed., September 11,11, 18, 18, 25, 25, October 2, 16 9, 16 (6 weeks) October 2, 9, (6 weeks) 6:30–8:00 6:30–8:00 p.m.p.m. $200perper couple, $135 individual $200 couple, $135 individual $35 drop-in fee fee $35 drop-in Optional workbook $10$10 Optional workbook LOCATION LOCATION
The Post Oak School The Post Oak School 4600 Bissonnet St. at Ave. B B 4600 Bissonnet St. at Ave. (Childcare not provided)
(Childcare not provided)
Facilitators of the Parenting the Love and Logic Way® curriculum are
Facilitators of theand Parenting Love and Way® are independent are notthe employees of Logic the Love andcurriculum Logic Institute. independent and are not employees of the Love and Logic Institute.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
FORPhylis MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tomlinson, Counselor Phylis Tomlinson, Counselor phylistomlinson@gmail.com 1-6688 x176 or 713-668-6558. @gmail.com
Tel. 713-661-6688 713-668-6558. Class size limitedx176 to 30orpeople for morning classes at Post Oak
Call to or 30 email in advance to reserve a spot! ClassLocation. size limited people for morning classes at Post Oak • Registration opensintoadvance the publicto8/30/2013. Location. Call or email reserve a spot! •
• Parking available Avenue8/30/2013. B only. Registration opens toalong the public
•
Parking available along Church Avenue Bis only. Class size at St. Mark’s not limited. Contact Phylis or come to first class to register.
Class size at St. Mark’s Church is not limited. Contact Phylis or due atto theregister. first class. Make checks payable to Phylis Tomlinson. comePayment to firstisclass Payment is due at the first class. Make checks payable to Phylis Tomlinson.
MORNING CLASSES MORNING CLASSES AT ST. MARK’S CHURCH
AT ST. MARK’S 18, CHURCH Wed., September 25, Wed., September 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, 23 (6 weeks) October 2, 9, 16,a.m. 23 (6 weeks) 9:00-10:30 $90 for entire 6-weeka.m. series 9:00-10:30 Optional workbook $10series $90 for entire 6-week
Optional workbook $10 LOCATION St. Mark’s Episcopal Church LOCATION OfficeEpiscopal Parlor Church St. Mark’s 3816 Bellaire Blvd. Office Parlor Houston, TX 77025
3816 Bellaire Blvd. (Childcare not provided)
Houston, TX 77025
(Childcare not provided)
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Redirecting Children’s Behavior The Gentle Art of Parenting
Tuesday evenings, Sept. 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, from 6:30–9 p.m. This six week, 15-hour course is designed to guide parents to use discipline as a process of teaching children self-control and responsibility. Redirecting Children’s Behavior is a positive, powerful, informative, and fun training course which will give you a complete system for handling every situation in which adults interact with children, from infancy to adolescence. You will see it working and bringing positive changes to your parenting and your family from the first class onward.
FREE Introduction Talk open to all Wednesday, September 17, at 6:30 p.m.
The course will be taught by Deborah Fry, Ph.D. She is a certified instructor for the International Network for Children and Families. Deborah gives talks and seminars for parents, teachers and people involved with children and families, as well as teaches three-year-olds at Westminster Weekday School. With her enthusiastic speaking style and her sense of humor, Deborah helps make the art of parenting and working with children enjoyable. To register, call Deborah at 713-840-8663 or visit www.deborah-fry.com. Course fee: $235 for one; $335 per couple includes book, workbook, and 15 hours of class time.
Shop & Support Post Oak There’s an easy way to help raise money for our school – when you go shopping! Whether buying groceries at Randalls, back-toschool 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.
purchases made outside of Target. To link Post Oak to your card, go to target.com/tcoe, enter the school’s ID (1510) or search by city and state, and click on the Select This School to enter your card information. You can also check the school’s progress any time. For great deals on clothing, toys, magazines, courses, and much more, shop with Mamasource by Mamapedia (deals.mamapedia. com/). When making a purchase, select The Post Oak School and they will send send 5% to us! Easy peasy!
When you shop at Randalls, Post Oak can receive 1% of total purchases. Just link your Remarkable card to the school by visiting www.randalls.com ▶ Community Caring (link at the bottom of page under Company Info). From here select the Good Neighbor We truly appreciate all your support! Happy shopping! • Program link on the right and complete the short Good Neighbor Charity Addition form at the bottom of the page. Be sure to include Post Oak’s charity number 2531. Have a Target REDcard or Target Visa Card? Through their Take Charge of Education program, cardholders can designate Post Oak to receive 1% of all Card purchases made at a Target store or at target.com. Target also donates .5% of all Target Visa Credit Card
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Dads’ Club Poker Tourney Winner: Congratulations to the most recent winner of the Post Oak Dads’ Club on-going Regional Poker Tournament in Galveston! Sign up to join this great group of fun-loving, Post-Oak-Supporting dads! Contact at •
The Post Oak Fund
Together
we can! Post Oak’s environment, professional development, facilities, technology enhancements – all are supported by your gift to the Annual Fund. It takes everyone working together to maintain the level of excellence you expect from Post Oak. Be among the first to make your contribution and show your support for Post Oak!
•
Donations for 2013–14 can be made online at any time. The Annual Fund campaign runs from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15.
New School Year, New You By Aimee Alley Taylor, Certified Health Coach A lot of people begin the New Year by making resolutions. Well, I always feel like the start of the school is just as much a new year as January 1st. We’ve all been there. We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more or spend more time with our family. We start the year with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits. Why is it so hard to stick to those New Year’s resolutions? Here are some ways you can make your intentions a reality this school year: 1. Write down your intentions and keep them in a visible place, like taped to your bedroom mirror or the dashboard of your car. 2. Get to the source of whatever is keeping you in a rut. Are you in a stressful relationship that causes you to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every night? Are you stressed at your job and feel too tired to exercise after work? If you don’t tackle the root of the behavior, it will be much harder to accomplish your goal.
3. Be clear about what your life would look like once you achieve your goal. If you resolve to go to the gym more, how will this benefit you? Get connected to the result of your action, and you will be more likely to stick with your plan. 4. Share your resolutions with friends and family. Hold each other accountable for achieving your goals. If you want to go to the gym more, have a friend call you two or three times a week to check on you or invite them to join you. 5. Reward yourself with every little accomplishment. If your intention is to lose weight and you lose 1 pound a week, pamper yourself with a massage. Big changes do not require big leaps. Permanent change is more likely to happen gradually than through one big restrictive plan. Allow yourself to climb the ladder one rung at a time. Happy New School Year! Learn more about Aimee Taylor and her health coaching practice at www.greenpeasandblueberries.com.
Volunteers Wanted!
The opportunities for volunteering at Post Oak are plentiful, and we encourage you to get involved! The POPA page of our website is a valuable resource for those looking to help. There is a list of activities to choose from and an online form for easy sign-up. We are specicifally looking for Yearbook volunteers as well— it’s a great way to connect with other parents while supporting the school. If you have questions, please contact christinacantu@postoakschool.org. •
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Welcome new families! Amid the flurry of back-to-school activities, the gym was home to the New Parent Welcome Coffee hosted by Post Oak’s administration and POPA leadership for all new Post Oak School parents. There was delicious breakfast and conversation shared by all. •
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Infant Community/Primary Walk Through
Sep t e m ber 6, 2013
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Bearkats and Intramurals Sign-up Day
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Scenes from The Post Oak School
1. High School students and faculty 2. A Lower Elementary student works with multiples of ten on a number strip. 3. Lower Elementary students sharing the duties of cleaning materials after a lesson.
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4. Upper Elementary students help new Primary students walk to class. 5. Primary students preparing cards to work on addition with the bank game. 6. Middle School students share a bonding experience at Artesian Lakes. 7. Bright faces at Middle School arrivals! 8. A Primary student works on a puzzle. 9. Exploring the cubing of numbers in an Upper Elementary class. 10. Opening and closing containers supports fine motor skills development in the Infant Community. 11. Upper Elementary students take a bow after presenting the first Great Lesson to the younger students in the class.
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C a l e n da r S e p t e m b e r 8 –1 4
Wed 9/11
Thu 9/12
Thu 9/12
Parenting the Love and Logic Way (1 of 6) 6:30–8:00 p.m.
Parenting the Love and Logic Way (1 of 6) 9:10–10:30 a.m.
Primary Home Environment Parent Orientation 6:15–7:00 p.m.
Primary Parent Orientation 7:00 p.m.
Fri 9/13
Yom Kippur begins at sundown
S e p t e m b e r 15 –2 1
Sun 9/15
Kids Care Club Food for Life Project
Tue 9/17
Intro to Redirecting Children’s Behavior
Fri 9/20
All-school photo
3:00–5:00 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
Check out our calendar online or download a copy at www.postoakschool.org
Not i c e Boa r d
Conference Registration The online parent/teacher conference scheduling is now open. Conference days are October 11, 18, and 25 (Infant Community is in session on the 25th). To sign up for a conference go to www.postoakschool.org ▶ For Parents ▶ Schedule/View a ParentTeacher Conference and have your login information ready. If you are having problems, please contact technology director Mirna AndradeSalgado, at technology@postoakschool.org or 281-822-8063.
Are You on ? Download 200,000+ brand logos in vector format for free
http://www.logoeps.com/ So is the the Post Oak School! We’d like to encourage all our families and friends to head over and like us to stay up to date on the latest POS news and events. Our Facebook pages (POS, High School, and Alumni) are updated regularly and we need your participation to keep our online community vibrant! This year we are promoting new features, like the 50-for-50 project and the Jubilee, that you won’t want to miss!
www.facebook.com/PostOakSchool
Paperwork drop-off at arrivals If you have paperwork to drop off, you can hand it to one of the people assisting with arrivals and they will put it in a basket that gets taken to the front office every morning. No need to park! There are drop-off baskets in both the Primary and Elementary arrival lines.
A b o u t T h e P ost The Post appears every other Friday of the regular school year. You can receive a printed copy from your oldest child, or a PDF version online.
Let’s Go Bearkats!
Submit letters, articles, or photos in electronic form by 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before publication to Communications Coordinator Elisa Schmidt (elisaschmidt@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. 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