i n t h i s i s s u e : S P O T L I G H T O N A L U M N I • H I G H S C H O O L A-T E R M H A P PE N I N G S • S P R I N G E N V I R O N M E N TA L L E C T U R E
The
VO LU M E X V I V, N U M B E R 15 A bi-weekly publication of The Post Oak School
POST Celebrating 50 years of The Post Oak School
A PR I L 11, 2 014 Available online at www.postoakschool.org
T H A N K YOU, P O S T OA K COM M U N I T Y
O
from John Long, Head of School
n behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Administration of the Post Oak School, we would like to thank all of the parents and friends who have participated in this week’s Big Work Sessions. The Board will be meeting this weekend to decide whether to pause the current plans for construction, or to move forward with
the current plan. We look forward to sharing the outcome of their decision with the Post Oak School community in the following weeks. This is a monumental point in the history of the school, and we appreciate the support and feedback we have received thus far from our community. Stay tuned to find out more about the future of our school via email and The Post.
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Luciano Posada 8th Grade Class of ‘08 “I am currently a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin studying Chemical Engineering with a focus in Biomedical Engineering as well as Cell and Tissue Engineering. I recently finished a microgravity research project with NASA. The team I was a part of looked at how water freezes in zero gravity to design a supplemental heat rejection system for the next generation of spacecraft. A hobby that I developed a bit more at Post Oak during my middle school years is bike riding. This fall I plan on applying to be part of a bike team here at UT
that rides from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska to raise money for cancer research. This summer I plan on taking a few of classes at the University of Houston and to do some shadowing with a couple of doctors. My long term goal is to go to graduate school, either to study medicine or continue with Cell and Tissue Engineering. Post Oak helped me foster an appreciation for the ‘big picture’. As Montessori students we are able to make connections between what we learn in class and how that applies to the real world and use what we learn to make the world a better place.“
Please join us in congratulating
and
!
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Texas State Math and Science Competition , a 6 th grade student in Debbie Nickerson’s class, participated in the Texas State Math and Science Competition held at The University of Texas at San Antonio this past weekend. is pictured at right with the first place trophy he recently won in a math competition at Atascocita High School. He competed in the Number Sense and General Math categories. was awarded 17th place in the state, and broke all his personal record scores. He says, “The experience was more about how much I improved and how practice makes you at least close to perfect.” Congratulations, !
National Lemonade Day: Calling All Families! Post Oak Alumnus Lou Posada
Post Oak Students Going to Japan! Post Oak students and have been selected from among an impressive pool of twenty-plus candidates to participate in the 2014 Houston-Chiba Sister City Youth Ambassador Exchange Program.
APR IL 11, 2014
Communit y S ervice Opportunities
On May 4th, Lemonade Day, Post Oak parent Michelle Luo is organizing a stand for all Post Oak families to join if interested! The stand will be set up in front of Whole Foods Market on Kirby. The event is from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. If you are interested in taking a two-hour shift, please send Michelle an email at shawbefun@gmail.com. There are a total of two shifts available, and it will be tons of fun! Post Oak students have participated in the past and thus we continue the tradition this year. Lemonade Day is a free, fun, experiential learning program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their own business – a lemonade stand. The
foremost objective of Lemonade Day is to empower youth to take ownership of their lives and become productive members of society – the business leaders, social advocates, volunteers, and forward thinking citizens of tomorrow. Each child learns real-life business skills such as creating budgets, setting profit-making goals, serving customers, repaying investors, and giving back to the community. Along the way, they acquire skills in goal-setting, problem solving, and gain selfesteem critical for future success.
Lemonade Day is May 4th!
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WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW!
High School Faculty Gives Us the Scoop on A-Terms OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE The Outdoor Experience was originally proposed by a group of boys for a J-Term, but didn’t have the numbers to happen in January, so it got postponed until A-Term. During this term 9 total students (4 boys, 5 girls) signed up, and we began planning a 4-day backpacking trip to Big Bend. Students spent the first week planning all aspects of the trip, including meals, gear acquisition, as well as writing the budget for all expenses, researching flora and fauna of the area, and acquiring the proper skills to backpack safely and successfully. After the week of planning, the group (including Mr. Grisbee and his wife, Amy) left on Sunday morning for the 10-hour drive to Big Bend. The following day the group started the hike along the South Rim Loop (a 13-mile trail in the Chisos Mountains), including a hike up to Emory Peak, the highest point in the park. The days of hiking were challenging for most, yet morale was very high and the students seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly. They quickly realized that the physical strain was worth it when they encountered the views from the South Rim and Emory Peak, the perfect sunset over the desert, the magic of the stars seen during a new moon, and the pride of knowing that they had completed something difficult together as a group. They can’t stop asking when the next trip will be!
HISTORICAL GAME DESIGN In the photo above, and play the board game they designed, which is based on the diary of a midwife in colonial New England. Other games the students created in this A-Term were based on family politics in Medieval England and international competition during the Cold War.
THE BRAIN AND THE MIND The Brain and the Mind A-Term was a short intense program to explore issues of how psychology and neuroscience intersect. Students came with distinct interests in psychology, ranging from how we control movement to Group Thinking. In the first week, students chose a part of the brain to study, which they then researched and presented to the rest of the group. We also read chapters from Oliver Sacks “Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” and watched a movie on Tourettes Syndrome. The second week students researched their topic of interest at the Rice Fondren library, as well as online, then wrote a paper and gave a preventation to the group. We also watched the documentary, “56 Up” which started 49 years ago as a sociological look at 7 year-olds in England, and has become a longitudinal look at development, as it revisits the same individuals every 7 years. Students came away with a stronger understanding of their areas of interest, and a grasp of how tightly the fields of neuroscience and psychology have become intertwined.
and a musical at The Hobby Center. Before each kind of experience, they read and analyzed pertinent reviews, discussing the elements of each kind of review and deciding on the content, tone, and style that would be appropriate for particular audiences. After each experience, students wrote reviews on a number of sites, including Rotten Tomatoes, Flixster, and Yelp as well as longer, more involved reviews on their Tumblr page. One of the most important skills that they learned was how to “show, don’t tell,” by using lots of concrete details that appeal to as many senses as possible, in order to allow their readers to immerse themselves in the experience they were describing. The group was so enthusiastic about reviewing the world-class food, films, theater, and art that Houston has to offer that they are starting a Critical Writing club that is in development at this time.
CRITICAL WRITING The Critical Writing A-Term was originally conceived as an offshoot of the Creative Writing J-Term to give students another opportunity to engage in meaningful writing for authentic audiences. It was modeled after a J-Term that students participated in at The Montessori High School in Cleveland, where they reviewed films, albums, and restaurants, calling themselves the Cleveland Critics. Our students decided to call themselves the Montrose Mavens and collaboratively designed the course so that they had opportunities to view films, visit restaurants and coffee shops, and even see an art exhibit at The Menil Collection
HMNS PALEONTOLOGY Head on over to blog to read about her A-Term Paleontology trip to Seymour, TX, where she uncovered this Boomerang Head Dimetrodon rib, among many other amazing treasures.
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Update: Post Oak Students Training in Laparoscopic Surgery
Bearkats Backyard Barbeque Everyone is invited to join Bearkats and Intramural players, along with their families, faculty, and staff, at our annual backyard barbecue catered by Beck’s Prime. There will also be a program celebrating the hard work of our Post Oak athletes.
Join the fun in the Post Oak gym! Wednesday April 30, 6 to 8 p.m. RSVP with number attending by Friday, April 25. Call 713-661-6688 or email frontoffice@postoakschool.org.
Free DASH Women’s Soccer Tickets Post Oak Parents Tina Petersen and John Duboise are offering THREE free Dash tickets for the following games: Sat, Apr. 12, 7pm • Wed, May 14, 7pm • Wed, Jun. 11, 8pm • Sat, Jun. 28, 8pm • Sat, Jul. 5, 8pm • Fri, Jul. 11, 8pm • Thu, Jul. 17, 8pm • Wed, Jul. 30, 8pm Please email johndubo@gmail. com to pick up these tickets. Post Oak parents Christina and Isaac Tapia are offering TWO free Dash tickets for the following games: Fri. May 23rd, 7pm • Wed. Jun. 11, 8pm • Sat. Jul. 5, 8pm These tickets are available for pick up in the Development Office.
Post Oak Parent Sharon Englestein’s Dillidiidae Opening at Hermann Park Thursday, April 17, 2014, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Celebrations will take place at the installation site adjacent to the Playground for All Children and the intersection of Fannin and Cambridge Streets. RSVP to mmiller@hermannpark.org More information can be found at http://www.hermannpark.org/centennial-year/art-in-the-park/
by Shekkola Gray, Middle School Director Last week we had an orientation to the MITIE facility. Dr. Salas explained that the facility was strictly for the education of doctors. Dr. Salas trains interns who wish to become surgeons. He also trains experienced doctors who want to learn to perform a particular procedure to address patient needs. The facility in Houston is one of the largest (in area) of its type in the world. Recently, facilities in Japan and Brazil have been established which are larger, making the Methodist facility the third largest of its type. The students are training two at a time, starting on Friday, March 28th. The first session commenced with 7th grader using the laparoscopic simulation materials and 7th grader working on the robotic simulator. Mrs. Madiman joined our group. The plan was for each student to practice each of three procedures three times: peg board manipulation, precision cutting (represented by the snake on the robotic simulator), and suturing. Dr. Salas of Methodist and Dr. Pavlidis of the University of Houston were present to oversee the work. Dr. Salas is the resident expert on the use of the laparoscopic equipment. Dr. Pavlidis and a U of H PhD student collected data on the times required to complete each procedure. In the case of the robotic simulator, data
was also collected on efficiency. In the case of the laparoscopic equipment, qualitative observations were made which will at some point be translated into quantitative data. The work on the robotic simulator ended prematurely, since the suture procedure could not be completed in a way that was parallel to the suturing on the laparoscopic equipment. The robotic expert was unavailable to offer assistance but will join the group at the next session. Only one suture was completed on the laparoscopic equipment. Our session lasted two hours. Based on the improvement observed in consecutive execution of the same procedure, Dr. Pavlidis is confident that our students are the right people for the work. On average, interns require 30 sessions to master the use of the laparoscopic equipment and robotic simulator. Dr. Pavlidis feels our students can reach the same level of mastery in 20-25 sessions. If the equipment can be secured twice a week during the summer, our sessions will take place over a shorter period of time than expected. Once students have been trained, simulated surgeries will be performed. At this point, data on pulse/heart rate and rate of perspiration at various points will be collected from the students. Ideally, the rate of perspiration will be measured at the bridge of the nose, on the the wrist, on the sole of
the foot, and on the thorax, very near the diaphragm. The measurements will be taken unobtrusively using wearable sensors. A Post Oak community member (me, Mrs. Madiman, and/or a parent) will be present at all times. Lastly, this work is exciting and presents a unique opportunity for our students to shape the way doctors are trained in the future. I saw a great deal of enthusiasm yesterday–from our students as well as from Doctors Salas and Pavlidis. Mrs. Madiman joined me in complimenting students on the level of focus and concentration they demonstrated. Stay tuned for more updates on the amazing work our students are doing at Methodist!
t h e p ost oak s cho ol
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Pa r e n t E d u c at i o n O p p o r t u n i t i e s
t h e p o s t oa k s c h o o l
Fencing Out Critters Planting Tips from Post Oak Parent Jeff Streich
Parenting the Love and Logic Way® Enriching Summer Family Time presented by
Phylis R. Tomlinson, LPC, LMFT, ATR-BC
Post Oak Counselor & Independent Facilitator of Parenting the Love and Logic Way® curriculum
LEARN AND REFRESH THESE SKILLS: reduce arguing • respond to “I’m bored” manage sibling issues • money matters planning family work/play • engage cooperation create a more peaceful home environment
Based on last year’s experience of critters (namely squirrels) nibbling on my new plant growth, I was prompted to incase the garden in some type of deterrent. The resulting solution was two-fold: First, a three foot high metal fence was placed around the perimeter of the garden to deter any large animals from casually strolling into the garden, and second, a black plastic netting was used to create a wall and roof to fully enclose the garden. Support for the fencing is provided by standard green metal fence posts. Make sure to get the tall posts so you can stand up inside the garden and plants have room to grow. Zip ties were used to secure the fencing to each other and the posts. Also place some stakes along the bottom edge of the metal fence to prevent animals from trying to go under. Better yet, dig the fence edge in a little as well. For the roof support, I just used long 1” square strips of wood at a diagonal. Painting the wood black like the netting helps it blend in for aesthetics. So far, so good. Nothing has broken in to the garden and all is growing well.
SUMMER SHORT COURSE AT THE POST OAK SCHOOL 4600 BISSONNET ST. Friday, May 2 & May 9, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. $30 per day or $50 pre-paid for 2 days
SUMMER SHORT COURSE AT ST. MARK’S CHURCH 3816 BELLAIRE BLVD. Friday, May 2 & May 9, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. $30 per day or $50 pre-paid for 2 days Bring a brown bag lunch!
Pa r e n t E d u c at i o n O p p o r t u n i t i e s
Spring Environmental Lecture
re-wilding
THE
OF HOUSTON’S URBAN
importance OF THE
H U M A N C O N N E C T I O N W I T H N AT U R E
Jaime Gonzalez grew up in the Houston area exploring fields, streams and bayous. While he loves nature even more he loves connecting people with nature. He was a naturalist at the Houston Arboretum for 7 years before moving to his new job at Katy Prairie Conservancy. His biggest passion is educating Houston folks about our prairie ancestry since this biome is so rapidly disappearing. Jaime is currently the Conservation Education Director for the Katy
TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE: Send a check payable to Phylis with desired dates. Phylis R. Tomlinson, LPC, LMFT, ATR-BC 4010 Bluebonnet, #109, Houston, TX 77025 H/O: 713.668.6558 phylistomlinson@gmail.com
AREAS AND THE
Prairie Conservancy and speaks to groups of naturalists, educators,
THURSDAY APRIL 24 5:30 PM
the p o st oak scho ol
POST OA K GY M
Arboretum volunteers, and the public via YouTube. For the Spring Environmental Lecture, Jaime will be discussing topics surrounding the re-wilding of urban areas, and the need for people to reconnect with nature around them. We look forward to seeing you there! t h e p o s t oa k s c h o o l
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SCENES
from The Post Oak School
1. Sewing class is one of the many after school programs offered to our Elementary students. 2. Two older Primary children collaborate on learning the states. 3. Setting the table for lunch in the Full-Day Infant Community.
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4. A Lower Elementary student performs the daily work of emptying the dishwasher.
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5. Middle School students prepare to deliver their speeches at the MMUN Social event. 6. Students in Primary receive a color lesson in Spanish. 7. Creating complex geometric shapes in 3-D in Upper Elementary. 8. A Lower Elementary student studies history independently. 9. Upper Elementary students enjoy the foods of the different cultures represented at the MMUN Social event. 10. High School students take in the Magna Carta exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science with their own peers as docents.
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11. Primary children care for the gardens in their outdoor classroom area.
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C A L E N DA R
N OT I C E B OA R D 2014 MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER SCHEDULE
A PR I L 13 - 19
CALENDAR CHANGE: Tue 4/15
Fri 4/18
Bearkats Celebration HAS BEEN MOVED to Wednesday, April 30. Good Friday
SCHOOL CLOSED
A PR IL 20 - 26
Tue 4/22
Thu 4/24
Earth Day Spring Environmental Lecture featuring Jaime Gonzalez 5:30 p.m.
Check out our calendar online or download a copy at www.postoakschool.org
Our 2014 Bearkats are BACK! 2014 VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
April 1 • 4:15 April 16 • 4:15 April 23 • 4:15 April 29 • 4:15 ALL GAMES ARE AGAINST ST. STEPHEN’S AND WILL BE PLAYED HERE AT THE POST OAK SCHOOL.
April 14 • 5:15 vs. Iman Academy April 16 • 5:15 vs. Iman Academy
2014 HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER SCHEDULE April 12 • 10:00 a.m. vs. HSS April 12 • 4:00 vs. Southwest Schools April 14 • 6:30 vs. Iman Academy April 15 • 6:30 vs. Ingenuity April 16 • 6:30 vs. Iman Academy April 25 • 6:30 vs. ESTEM-SE April 26 • 5:00 vs. Iman Academy
ALL GAMES WILL BE PLAYED AT BEAR CREEK PARK 3535 WAR MEMORIAL DR, HOUSTON, TX 77084
Coffee with the High School Director Tuesday, April 29 at 9:00 a.m. on the Bissonnet Campus
Show your school pride with spirit wear from Lands’ End. Visit www.postoakschool.org/postoak/Spirit_Sale.asp and click on the Lands’ End logo.
ABOU T TH E POST The Post is distributed via email every other Friday of the regular school year. You can receive a printed copy from your oldest child, or view the PDF version online. 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